An Act to Require Reimbursement When a Municipality Hires First Responders Whose Training Costs Were Incurred by Another Municipality
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1409
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: FAY, HASENFUS, HEPLER, MASTRACCIO, MATLACK, MILLETT, PERKINS, GROHOSKI
Amends: 30-A MRSA §3156-A

Legislative Document
No. 1409
H.P. 905
House of Representatives, March 30, 2023
An Act to Require Reimbursement When a Municipality Hires First 
Responders Whose Training Costs Were Incurred by Another 
Municipality
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative FAY of Raymond.
Cosponsored by Representatives: HASENFUS of Readfield, HEPLER of Woolwich, 
MASTRACCIO of Sanford, MATLACK of St. George, MILLETT of Waterford, PERKINS of 
Dover-Foxcroft, Senator: GROHOSKI of Hancock.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  30-A MRSA §3156-A is enacted to read:
§3156-A.  Sharing of training costs
1.  Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A. "First responder" means a municipal firefighter, volunteer firefighter or a person 
who provides emergency services.
B.  "Training" means training related to the prevention or extinguishment of fires or  
responding to or managing other public safety emergencies, including, but not limited 
to, medical emergencies, hazardous materials incidents or natural or human-made 
disasters.
C. "Training costs" means any costs incurred by a municipality for training a first 
responder.  
2.  Reimbursement for training costs.  Whenever a municipality has incurred training 
costs related to a full-time first responder and that first responder is subsequently hired by 
another municipality within 5 years of the first municipality's initial incurrence of any 
training costs, the 2nd municipality shall reimburse the first municipality according to the 
following formula, unless a mutual agreement is reached.
A.  If the first responder is hired by the 2nd municipality during the first year after the 
first municipality's initial incurrence of any training costs, the 2nd municipality shall 
reimburse the first municipality 100% of the training costs.
B.  If the first responder is hired by the 2nd municipality during the 2nd year after the 
first municipality's initial incurrence of any training costs, the 2nd municipality shall 
reimburse the first municipality 80% of the training costs.
C.  If the first responder is hired by the 2nd municipality during the 3rd year after the 
first municipality's initial incurrence of any training costs, the 2nd municipality shall 
reimburse the first municipality 60% of the training costs.
D.  If the first responder is hired by the 2nd municipality during the 4th year after the 
first municipality's initial incurrence of any training costs, the 2nd municipality shall 
reimburse the first municipality 40% of the training costs.
E.  If the first responder is hired by the 2nd municipality during the 5th year after the 
first municipality's initial incurrence of any training costs, the 2nd municipality shall 
reimburse the first municipality 20% of the training costs.
F.  If the first responder is hired by the 2nd municipality more than 5 years after the 
first municipality's initial incurrence of any training costs, the 2nd municipality is not 
obligated to reimburse the first municipality.
If the first responder is subsequently hired by additional municipalities within 5 years of 
the first municipality's initial incurrence of any training costs, each of those governmental 
entities is liable to the municipality immediately preceding it for the training costs paid by 
that municipality under this subsection.  The extent of financial liability must be determined 
according to the formula established in this subsection.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes a formula to reimburse municipalities for training costs for training 
full-time first responders if the first responder is hired by another municipality within 5 
years of the first municipality's initial incurrence of training costs.