Senate Bill 416 - Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment and Retention Act of 2019

• Establishes the North Carolina Firefighters Fellows Program to provide forgivable loans of up to $3,152 per year for up to two years to individuals pursuing applied associate degrees in fire protection at community colleges.

• Creates a 10-member North Carolina Firefighters Fellows Committee to oversee loan recipient selection, with members appointed by the chair of the North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission and including representatives from state firefighter organizations and community colleges.

• Forgives loans if recipients work as volunteers or full-time firefighters in eligible departments for at least four out of five years following graduation; loans otherwise require repayment over 60 months at up to 10% annual interest.

• Provides hunting and fishing license fee waivers for volunteer firefighters, including annual license waivers for active members and lifetime license waivers for those with 10 consecutive years of service.

• Increases monthly pension contributions for firefighters and rescue squad workers from $10 to $15 per month, increases monthly pensions from $170 to $180 for those aged 55 or older, and exempts certain homeowners of volunteer firefighters with over five years of service from 75% of property tax on primary residences.