West Central Reporter

In a June 30 Facebook post, Illinois state Sen. Neil Anderson (R-Moline) shared an update on bills he has sponsored that were successful in becoming law. One of those bills, Senate Bill (SB) 1750, was written to support Illinois first responders and emergency medics through paid training.

"Today, several bills I passed this past spring were signed into law,"  Anderson said in the post. He also shared a link to a news release on his official website.

The release focused on SB1750, which created incentives for Illinois fire departments to recruit emergency medical technicians. The legislation by Anderson and Sen. Mike Halpin (D-Rock Island) gives a tax credit for emergency volunteers.

"Our volunteer departments are equally as important as a full-time fire department," Anderson said in the release. "When there is an emergency, response times are critical and if there is nobody to fill the seats on a fire apparatus then it’s a huge public safety concern. I feel this new law is a good first step in either recruiting new volunteer emergency workers or providing a small incentive to the ones who are already willingly answering the call."

SB1750 requires the board of trustees of a fire protection district to reimburse EMTs, A-EMTs, EMT-Is or paramedics employed by the district for their mandatory training expenses. The legislation will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Halpin first filed SB1750 on Feb. 9, the General Assembly's bill status page said. It moved to the House of Representatives on March 30 and was approved. Gov. JB Pritzker signed it into law on June 30. After its approval, the bill is now known as Public Act 103-0226.

"EMTs and volunteer firefighters are an important part of what keeps our communities safe," Haplin said in the release. "This was a concerted effort to give local fire protection districts additional tools that allow them to recruit and retain emergency service workers."

Anderson has served the 47th District since 2015, his website biography said. The district now includes portions and/or all of Adams, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Knox, Mason, McDonough, Menard, Mercer, Peoria, Rock Island, Schuyler, Stark, Tazwell and Warren counties. When not serving the residents of the district as a legislator in Springfield, he is a firefighter/paramedic in Moline.