Albany, NY – Today, Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D-119) announces that the New York State Assembly has voted to advance Bill A.6790-A, legislation co-sponsored by Assemblywoman Buttenschon that stands to award personal income tax credit increases to our state’s volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers.

Following recommendations from the Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment and Retention Task Force convened by the State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services in 2022, this legislation builds upon the State’s ongoing efforts to bolster the volunteer ranks of fire departments and ambulatory service providers by way of increasing the personal income tax credit compensation currently offered to volunteers in recognition of the invaluable service these men and women provide to our citizens and communities.

“Our volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers are the backbone of emergency services throughout New York," Assemblymember Buttenschon said. “They rush toward danger when others flee, often balancing this service with full-time jobs and family responsibilities. This bill, born out of the recommendations of the Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment and Retention Task Force, reflects our commitment to acting on the real-world needs of our volunteers and is a concrete step toward strengthening their ranks to ensure we can continue recruiting and retaining the dedicated volunteers our communities depend on.”

Key provisions of the proposal include:

• Increasing the state personal income tax credit from $200 to $800 for eligible individuals, and
• Increasing the state personal income tax credit from $400 to $1,600 for eligible married joint filers
• If signed by the Governor, the increases would take effect on the first of April next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.

Following a decades-long decline in New York's volunteer emergency services workforce, the urgency behind the state’s efforts to increase volunteer recruitment and retention cannot be overstated. New York’s volunteer ranks have now hit their lowest level in over 40 years, down over 40,000 volunteers in the last twenty years alone according to FASNY data. Despite this drastic decline in personnel, the number and complexity of emergency calls has continued to rise across the state. The 2022 Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment and Retention Task Force found that the ongoing shortage is directly impacting emergency response capabilities, with many departments across the state struggling to maintain minimum staffing levels and routinely relying on mutual aid to respond to emergencies safely and effectively.

“Retaining the dedicated volunteers we have and inspiring new ones to join are two sides of the same coin, and this legislation speaks to both," said Assemblywoman Buttenschon. “Increasing the tax credit is an acknowledgment of the time, training, and sacrifice our current volunteers give every single day, and a signal to those considering service that New York is committed to supporting those who step forward to protect their communities.”