The bill H. 3188 aims to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 40-80-65, which establishes a reimbursement process for fire departments that incur training costs for firefighters who are subsequently hired by other departments. If a firefighter completes mandatory training and is hired by a new employer within two years, the new employer is required to reimburse the original employer for the training costs. Specifically, if the firefighter is hired within one year of completing the training, the reimbursement is 100% of the costs, including salary and training expenses. If hired after one year but before the end of the two-year period, the reimbursement is 50%.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that an employer cannot receive more than 100% reimbursement of the combined training costs and that firefighters cannot be held responsible for repaying these costs. Existing agreements regarding repayment of training costs that were made before the bill's effective date will remain valid as long as they comply with the new provisions. The bill is set to take effect upon approval by the Governor.

Statutes affected:
12/05/2024: 40-80-65
Latest Version: 40-80-65
12/06/2024: 40-80-65