An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Maine Length of Service Award Program
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1797
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: THERIAULT
Amends: 5 MRSA §3372

Legislative Document
No. 1797
H.P. 1338
House of Representatives, December 9, 2021
An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Maine Length of Service 
Award Program
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Received by the Clerk of the House on December 7, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Criminal Justice and Public Safety pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative THERIAULT of China.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §3372, sub-§3, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 352, §1, is amended 
to read:
A.  The board, as established in section 12004‑G, subsection 30‑E, is composed of 7 9 
trustees, as follows:
(1)  Four persons who are eligible volunteers, appointed by the Governor.  Three 
of the persons appointed under this subparagraph must be selected from a list of 6 
nominees submitted by a statewide federation of firefighters;
(2)  A chief of a municipal fire department, appointed by the Governor and selected 
from a list of 3 nominees submitted by a statewide association of fire chiefs;
(3)  A person who is qualified through training or experience in the field of 
investments, accounting, banking or insurance or who is an actuary, appointed by 
the Governor; and
(4)  A person designated by a statewide municipal association.; and
(5)  Two persons who are licensed emergency medical services persons under Title 
32, section 82, appointed by the Governor and selected from a list of 3 nominees 
submitted by the Department of Public Safety, Maine Emergency Medical 
Services.
Sec. 2.  5 MRSA §3372, sub-§8, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 352, §1, is repealed and 
the following enacted in its place:
8.  Service credit.  The following provisions govern service credit.
A.  Service credit may be allowed in the program only for volunteer emergency service 
rendered as an eligible volunteer.  The requirements to be met by an eligible volunteer 
to earn one year of service credit must be consistent with the provisions in paragraph 
B and set forth in rules adopted by the board pursuant to subsection 21, which may be 
amended from time to time at the discretion of the board.
B.  The annual service credit calculation must be based on the following.
(1)  For a firefighter as described in subsection 1, paragraph D, subparagraph (1):
(a)  A total of 55 points may be earned based on attendance at calls for service;
(b)  A total of 35 points may be earned based on attendance at training classes; 
and
(c)  A total of 10 points may be earned based on attendance at municipal fire 
department meetings.
(2)  For an emergency medical services person as described in subsection 1, 
paragraph D, subparagraph (2):
(a)  A total of 65 points may be earned based on attendance at calls for service 
or shifts that were worked by the emergency medical services person;
(b)  A total of 25 points may be earned based on achieving continuing 
education units to maintain an active license for an emergency medical 
services person under Title 32, section 82; and
(c)  A total of 10 points may be earned based on attendance at emergency 
medical services department meetings.
SUMMARY
This bill provides 2 additional members who are licensed emergency medical services 
persons to the Maine Length of Service Award Program Board of Trustees.  The bill also 
provides statutory guidelines for calculating service credit within the program for 
firefighters and emergency medical services persons.