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PRINTER'S NO. 424
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 470
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY BROOKS, CULVER, L. WILLIAMS, COMITTA, MASTRIANO,
BARTOLOTTA, BROWN, FONTANA, PENNYCUICK, J. WARD, TARTAGLIONE,
STEFANO, ROBINSON, KANE, DUSH AND SANTARSIERO, MARCH 18, 2025
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, MARCH 18, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in terms and courses of study,
further providing for firefighter and emergency service
training and establishing the Secondary Education Fire
Training Pilot Program and the Fire Training Fund.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1550 of the act of March 10, 1949
(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
amended to read:
Section 1550. Firefighter and Emergency Service Training.--
(a) [Beginning with the 2003-2004 school year and each school
year thereafter, a school district] A school entity or nonpublic
school may offer firefighter and emergency service training as
credit-earning courses to students of the age of sixteen (16)
years or older, except as otherwise provided in subsection (c).
Such courses may include:
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(1) Training as a Firefighter I from the National Board on
Fire Service Professional Qualifications.
(2) Training as an emergency medical technician pursuant to
the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164, No.45), known as the
"Emergency Medical Services Act."
(b) A school [district] entity or nonpublic school that
offers firefighter and emergency service training as credit-
earning courses shall provide transportation to and supervision
during any firefighter and emergency service training program
that takes place off school grounds. Supervision of training
shall be conducted as a cooperative education program in
accordance with the provisions of 22 Pa. Code § 11.28 (relating
to out-of-school programs and part-time employment).
(c) The Secondary Education Fire Training Pilot Program is
established. The purpose of the pilot program is to provide high
school students with instruction through a partnership between
institutions of higher education and school entities or
nonpublic schools , or both, to increase the number of
individuals capable of becoming volunteer firefighters. The
pilot program shall be implemented in accordance with section 7
of the act of October 24, 2012 (P.L.1209, No.151), known as the
Child Labor Act, and the following:
(1) The State Fire Commissioner shall accept proposals from
institutions of higher education in this Commonwealth for the
pilot program. From the proposals submitted, the State Fire
Commissioner shall select three institutions of higher education
to offer the pilot program. The State Fire Commissioner, to the
greatest extent practicable, shall select one institution of
higher education each from the eastern, central and western
regions of this Commonwealth. Nothing in this section shall
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prohibit an institution of higher education from incorporating
emergency medical services instruction in the pilot program.
(2) An institution of higher education selected by the State
Fire Commissioner shall operate the pilot program by entering
into an agreement with a school entity or nonpublic school , or
both, for the provision of fire instruction to students who are
in at least the ninth grade and leading to Firefighter I
certification.
(3) The Fire Training Fund is established in the State
Treasury. The State Fire Commissioner may accept monetary
donations and other money for deposit into the Fire Training
Fund from a person, business, foundation, tax-exempt
organization under 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) (relating to exemption
from tax on corporations, certain trusts, etc.) or government
entity on behalf of the Commonwealth.
(4) Any money appropriated, donated or transferred to and
interest earned on the Fire Training Fund shall be deposited
into the Fire Training Fund.
(5) Money may be appropriated to the State Fire Commissioner
to carry out the provisions of this subsection. Each institution
of higher education offering the pilot program shall receive at
least one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for the
duration of the pilot program.
(6) During the pilot program, the Legislative Budget and
Finance Committee shall conduct a survey of volunteer fire
companies in the municipalities surrounding the school entities
and nonpublic schools that participate in the pilot program to
determine whether the pilot program is increasing the number of
volunteer firefighters and any additional recommendations. The
results of the survey shall be submitted to the chair and
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minority chair of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency
Preparedness Committee of the Senate and the chair and minority
chair of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness
Committee of the House of Representatives within six (6) months
of the expiration of the pilot program.
(7) The pilot program shall expire four (4) years from the
effective date of this paragraph.
(d) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Institution of higher education." A community college
operating under Article XIX-A, a college operating under Article
XIX-G or a university within the State System of Higher
Education.
"Nonpublic school." A nonprofit school, other than a public
school in this Commonwealth, wherein a resident of this
Commonwealth may legally fulfill the compulsory school
attendance requirements of this act and which meets the
applicable requirements of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Public
Law 88-352, 42 U.S.C. § 2000 et seq.).
"Pilot program." The Secondary Education Fire Training Pilot
Program established under subsection (c).
"School entity." A school district, intermediate unit, area
career and technical school, charter school, cyber charter
school or regional charter school.
Section 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2026, or
immediately, whichever is later.
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