Substitute Senate Bill No. 422 (sSB422 File No. 266) aims to enhance firefighter recruitment and retention in Connecticut through several initiatives. The bill establishes a mortgage assistance program for uniformed members of paid or volunteer fire departments, to be administered by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, providing aid for purchasing homes in the communities they serve. It also extends tuition waivers to these firefighters with at least two years of service, their dependent children after five years of service, and students at the state fire school enrolled in accredited programs. The bill includes insertions regarding the treatment of veterans and National Guard members receiving tuition waivers and specifies that tuition waivers will be reduced by any educational reimbursement from an employer. Additionally, the bill creates the Volunteer Firefighter Length-of-Service Award Program Trust Fund, setting up a length-of-service award program for volunteer firefighters, with the State Retirement Commission determining eligibility and service credits. The bill is effective from July 1, 2024.

The bill further outlines the conditions for vesting and payment of service awards to volunteer firefighters, with awards vesting after five years of service credit and payable under various conditions, including reaching the age of 65 or accumulating 20 years of service credit. It allows participants to defer payment until age 65 and includes provisions for payment to beneficiaries in case of a participant's death. The bill also amends the deadlines for a task force studying the shortage of firefighters and EMS personnel and requires municipalities to reimburse 50% of training costs if they hire a firefighter within two years of their training completion from another municipality. The bill includes a fiscal note indicating potential revenue loss for higher education units and a transfer effect on municipalities from fiscal year 2025. The Public Safety and Security Committee gave a Joint Favorable Substitute with a unanimous vote on March 19, 2024.