A bill that would exempt a specific type of volunteer firefighter bonus from Pennsylvania income tax has passed the state House unanimously. House Bill 1306, proposed by Democratic Rep. Justin Fleming and Republican Rep. Joe Kerwin, both of Dauphin County, would allow volunteer firefighters to keep more of their “length of service awards,” which departments can issue based on years of service. The payments are often used as retention bonuses for unpaid volunteers, and are currently taxed as income. “Every day, our volunteer firefighters give their time and put themselves in danger to safeguard our community’s health, safety, and property. Our bill keeps the hard-earned money these men and women deserve in their pockets,” Fleming said in a statement. “Firefighters answer the call 24/7 to protect our communities. There are great demands on their time, and they shouldn’t be taxed on the income that departments use as a retention incentive,” Kerwin also said in the statement.
