TRENTON, New Jersey – The Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee has issued a favorable report on an Assembly Committee Substitute for Assembly Bill No. 757. The bill aims to allow eligible volunteer firefighters and first aid or rescue squad members to claim an additional $1,000 exemption as a deduction from their gross income under the New Jersey gross income tax.
According to the committee’s report, the committee substitute provides specific eligibility requirements for individuals seeking to claim the additional personal exemption. Volunteer firefighters would be eligible if they serve as a volunteer for the entire tax year, respond to at least 60 percent of regular alarms and 60 percent of drills, and have attained the rank of Firefighter I Certified. First aid and rescue squad members would be eligible if they serve as a volunteer for the entire tax year, respond to at least 10 percent of regular alarms and 60 percent of drills, and have completed an approved training program or qualified as an emergency medical technician. Volunteer members with duty hours would be eligible if they serve a minimum of 400 duty hours during any calendar year, with drills accounting for no more than 50 percent of those hours.
In addition, the committee substitute mandates that the Director of Taxation, in consultation with the Commissioner of Community Affairs and the Commissioner of Health, establish rules or regulations to implement certain provisions of the bill. It also requires the official in charge of each fire department or force, as well as first aid or rescue squad, to annually submit a list of members who meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the committee substitute to the appropriate state agency.
The Assembly Committee Substitute for Assembly Bill No. 757 seeks to recognize and support the valuable contributions made by volunteer firefighters and first aid or rescue squad members by providing them with a tax deduction.