Maloney Votes to Provide Tax Credits for First Responders
HARRISBURG – David Maloney (R-Berks) today voted for legislation to provide a tax credit against the earned income and property tax liability for active volunteers of a fire company or emergency medical services (EMS) company.
“More than 90 percent of Pennsylvania residents rely on fire and EMS volunteers for emergency response services,” Maloney said. “These men and women stand ready at a moments’ notice to breathe life into communities that are devastated by fires, floods and other natural disasters.”
Specifically, the legislation, which Maloney also co-sponsored, would grant municipalities the authority to offer active volunteers a tax credit of up to 20 percent of their tax liability. It also would require the state fire commissioner to establish the annual requirements of the credit program for active volunteers, such as the number of calls a volunteer responded to or their training or participation in the functions of the organization.
A study conducted by the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute (PFESI) in 2001 found that volunteer fire service companies yielded about $6 billion in avoided costs to local government.
“We must never forget that our local first responders are the protectors of the homefront,” Maloney said. “I am a strong proponent of volunteerism in many forms, because volunteer service is all about communities coming together with neighbors they know and relying on themselves.”
Representative David Maloney
130th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Charles Lardner
717.260.6443
clardner@pahousegop.com
RepMaloney.com