WASHINGTON, D.C. – Volunteer emergency service workers will not be required to be counted as full-time equivalent employees for purposes of healthcare coverage, which could have gutted the ranks of emergency first responders across the country.

In a letter on Friday, January 10, the U.S. Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service clarified that volunteer emergency responders will not be covered by the healthcare mandate.

Senators Collins and King, along with Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Mark Begich (D-AK) had introduced the Protect Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act in December to address the issue. The legislation would have amended the Affordable Care Act to make it clear that volunteer emergency service workers are not required to be counted as full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) for purposes of healthcare coverage.

Some volunteer firefighters are nominally paid, and most volunteer first responders have other full-time employment. Many emergency response agencies do not have the resources to provide pay or benefits to volunteers, nor do most volunteer first responders expect to receive compensation or health coverage as a result of their volunteer public service. Approximately 750,000 volunteer firefighters serve in 20,000 all-volunteer and 5,000 combination career-volunteer fire departments throughout the United States. In Maine, there are an estimated 405 fire departments throughout the state that are either mostly staffed or all staffed by volunteers.

“Volunteer firefighters play a vital role in keeping our communities safe each and every day,” Senator Collins said. “It was unacceptable that an undue burden could have been placed on volunteer fire departments and communities across the country under the health care law, and I am pleased that the administration listened to our concerns and clarified this ambiguity in the law.”

“I could not be more pleased the Administration will heed our call to exempt volunteer firefighters from this mandate,” said Senator King. “I’ve always said that I would work with my colleagues to improve aspects of the Affordable Care Act, and this resolution is an example of how we can effectively work through issues that inevitably arise with the implementation of any new law. Thanks to this clarification, volunteer firefighters across Maine and the nation will be able to continue bravely serving and protecting our communities without the fear of having to deal with the unintended consequences of inclusion under the law.”