Governor Lamont Applauds Committee Approval of Police and Firefighter Recruitment and Retention Bill

(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Ned Lamont is applauding the Connecticut General Assembly's Public Safety and Security Committee for voting today in favor of legislation he introduced that establishes new incentives benefitting police officers and firefighters with the goal of encouraging more individuals to seek careers in these important public safety fields and helping retain those who are already serving.

"Police officers and firefighters are the backbone of the safety of our neighborhoods, and it is imperative that we have strategic recruitment and retention policies that build adequately staffed firefighter and police forces," Governor Lamont said. "By waiving tuition and fees for higher education and providing mortgage assistance so these public safety officials can afford to live in the towns where they work, we can do more to achieve our goals of having robust police and fire departments. I thank the Public Safety Committee for voting today to approve my proposal, and in particular I want to thank its co-chairs, Senator Gaston and Representative Boyd, for working with my office to advance this legislation."

Under the proposal approved by the committee, two new incentives will be created. The first incentive will waive the tuition and fees for undergraduate and graduate programs at public colleges and universities in the Connecticut State University System and Connecticut State Community Colleges for state and local police officers and firefighters with five or more years or service, as well as students attending the Connecticut Fire Academy. The second incentive will create a mortgage assistance program specifically tasked with helping these public safety professionals purchase homes in the communities they were hired to protect. The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority will be responsible for developing the terms of this program and administering it. The types of assistance offered could include down payment support or any other appropriate housing subsidies.

Additionally, newly updated language makes municipal EMS personnel and Connecticut Army/Air National Guard members eligible for some of these provisions. It also adds a tax credit for certain volunteer firefighters.

The legislation is House Bill 5046, An Act Supporting Firefighter and Police Officer Recruitment and Retention.

The Public Safety and Security Committee approved the bill by a unanimous vote.