HB 983 -- Volunteer Firefighters

Co-Sponsors:  Selby, Ward

This bill prohibits an employer from terminating a volunteer
firefighter when the volunteer firefighter is late to his/her
regular place of employment due to responding to an emergency
while acting as a volunteer firefighter.  Employers could deem
these emergency response activities to be unpaid leave.  A
volunteer firefighter employee would be required to provide
his/her employer with notice that he/she is a volunteer
firefighter, and with notices regarding any occasion when he/she
was, or anticipates being, late for work due to responding to an
emergency.  If an employer purposely terminates an employee in
violation of the bill, the employee has a civil action for back
wages and reinstatement for one year after the termination.  The
State Fire Marshal is required by the bill to give notice to
volunteer fire protection associations and fire protection
districts of the provisions of the bill, and volunteer
firefighters will then be required to give their employers the
advance notices required in the bill.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated September 13, 2001 at 2:04 pm