Senate Bill 688 proposes amendments to the service award program administered by the Department of Administration, which provides length-of-service awards to volunteer firefighters, emergency medical responders, and emergency medical services practitioners. The bill changes the vesting requirements for these volunteers, increasing the service requirement from 15 years to 20 years and lowering the age requirement from 60 to 53 years for full vesting eligibility.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that if a volunteer has between 10 and 20 years of service and has reached the age of 53, they will still be eligible for a length-of-service award, although the amount will be less than that awarded to those who meet the new full vesting criteria. The Department of Administration is tasked with promulgating rules to implement these changes.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 16.25(3)(g), 16.25