HB 2385 — An Act amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions relating to emergency management services, providing for minors serving in volunteer emergency service organizations; making a repeal; and making an editorial change.

PRINTER'S NO.     3199

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                             HOUSE BILL
                             No. 2385
                                                    Session of
                                                      2026

     INTRODUCED BY STENDER, CAUSER, FLEMING, KEPHART, KUZMA AND
        WATRO, APRIL 14, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
        PREPAREDNESS, APRIL 15, 2026


                                         AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions relating
 3      to emergency management services, providing for minors
 4      serving in volunteer emergency service organizations; making
 5      a repeal; and making an editorial change.
 6      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 7   hereby enacts as follows:
 8      Section 1.         Title 35 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 9   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
10   § 7715.    Minors serving in volunteer emergency service
11                   organizations.
12      (a)    Limitations of minors.--
13             (1)   An individual who is 14 years of age or older who is
14      a member of a volunteer emergency service organization may
15      participate in training and emergency service activities
16      except as follows:
17                   (i)    A minor may not operate a truck, ambulance or
18             other official fire vehicle.
19                   (ii)    A minor may not operate an aerial ladder,
 1        aerial platform or hydraulic jack.
 2              (iii)    A minor may not use rubber electrical gloves,
 3        insulated wire gloves, insulated wire cutters, life nets
 4        or acetylene cutting units.
 5              (iv)    A minor may not operate the pump of a fire
 6        vehicle while at the scene of a fire.
 7              (v)    A minor may not enter a burning structure under
 8        any circumstance except when engaged in a training
 9        session for an interior firefighting module with live
10        burns and all of the following apply:
11                     (A)   The minor is 17 years of age or older.
12                     (B)   The minor has permission to engage in the
13              training from a fire chief and a parent or guardian
14              of the minor.
15                     (C)   The minor is under the supervision of a
16              credentialed Pennsylvania State Fire Academy
17              instructor.
18              (vi)    A minor may not engage in firefighting
19        activities unless all of the following apply:
20                     (A)   The minor is 16 years of age or older.
21                     (B)   The minor has successfully completed a
22              course of training equal to the standards for basic
23              firefighting established by the State Fire
24              Commissioner.
25                     (C)   The minor is under the direct supervision
26              and control of the fire chief, an experienced line
27              officer or a designated forest fire warden.
28        (2)   In addition to the limitations under paragraph (1),
29    the activities of individuals over 13 years of age and under
30    16 years of age shall be further limited as follows:

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 1                (i)    An individual who is over 13 years of age and
 2          under 16 years of age shall only be permitted to perform
 3          the following activities:
 4                       (A)   Training.
 5                       (B)   First aid.
 6                       (C)   Cleanup service at the scene of a fire,
 7                outside the structure and after the fire has been
 8                declared by the fire official in charge to be under
 9                control.
10                       (D)   Serving food and beverages.
11                (ii)    An individual who is over 13 years of age and
12          under 16 years of age may not do any of the following:
13                       (A)   Operate high pressure hose lines except
14                during training activities. A high pressure hose line
15                is any water hose used for fire suppression with a
16                pressure greater than 150 psi, any air hose with a
17                pressure greater than 100 psi and any hydraulic hose
18                used for rescue tools with a pressure greater than
19                1,000 psi.
20                       (B)   Ascend ladders except during training
21                activities.
22    (b)   Authority of State Fire Commissioner.--
23          (1)   The State Fire Commissioner, in consultation with
24    the State Fire Advisory Board, may prohibit other activities
25    that the State Fire Commissioner deems hazardous to the
26    health of minors through regulation.
27          (2)   Until modified or deleted by the State Fire
28    Commissioner, 34 Pa. Code § 11.67 (relating to training and
29    firefighting) shall be deemed regulations of the State Fire
30    Commissioner under this subsection.

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 1      (c)   Restrictions on activities of minors.--
 2            (1)    Except as provided for under this subsection, this
 3      section does not supersede any other provision of this title
 4      or any regulation promulgated under this title.
 5            (2)    A minor may continue serving in answer to a fire
 6      call until excused by the individual acting as chief of the
 7      fire company if the minor:
 8                  (i)    is 16 years of age or older;
 9                  (ii)    is a member of a volunteer fire company; and
10                  (iii)    answers a fire call while lawfully employed.
11            (3)    An individual who is 14 or 15 years of age may
12      engage in training or firefighting activities permitted under
13      this section until 10 p.m. before a school day if the minor:
14                  (i)    is a member of a volunteer fire company; and
15                  (ii)    has the written consent of the minor's parent
16            or legal guardian.
17      (d)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
18   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
19   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
20      "Minor."      An individual under 18 years of age.
21      "Volunteer emergency service organization."        A volunteer fire
22   company, volunteer ambulance organization, volunteer rescue
23   organization, volunteer forest firefighting organization or
24   volunteer organization of emergency service personnel who are
25   expected to respond to medical emergencies or large-scale
26   disasters.
27      Section 2.        Section 8112.1(a)(3) introductory paragraph of
28   Title 35 is amended to read:
29   § 8112.1.      Scholarships for recruitment, training and retention.
30      (a)   Utilization.--Except as provided under subsection (d),

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 1   money transferred under 3 Pa.C.S. § 1113(a)(4) (relating to
 2   disposition of certain funds) shall be utilized by the
 3   department's Bureau of Emergency Medical Services to:
 4            * * *
 5            (3)   Make available a pilot program for high school
 6      students with instruction through partnerships between
 7      institutions of higher education in this Commonwealth and
 8      school entities or nonpublic schools, or both, to increase
 9      the number of individuals capable of becoming EMS providers.
10      The pilot program shall be conducted in accordance with
11      [section 7 of the act of October 24, 2012 (P.L.1209, No.151),
12      known as the Child Labor Act.] section 7715 (relating to
13      minors serving in volunteer emergency service organizations).
14      The following shall apply:
15                  * * *
16      Section 3.     Repeals are as follows:
17            (1)   The General Assembly declares that the repeal under
18      paragraph (2) is necessary to effectuate the addition of 35
19      Pa.C.S. § 7715.
20            (2)   The definition of "volunteer emergency service
21      organization" in section 2 and section 7 of the act of
22      October 24, 2012 (P.L.1209, No.151), known as the Child Labor
23      Act, are repealed.
24      Section 4.     The addition of 35 Pa.C.S. § 7715 is a
25   continuation of section 7 of the act of October 24, 2012
26   (P.L.1209, No.151), known as the Child Labor Act. The following
27   apply:
28            (1)   Except as otherwise provided in 35 Pa.C.S. § 7715,
29      all activities initiated under section 7 of the Child Labor
30      Act shall continue and remain in full force and effect and

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 1    may be completed under 35 Pa.C.S. § 7715. Orders,
 2    regulations, rules and decisions which were made under
 3    section 7 of the Child Labor Act and which are in effect on
 4    the effective date of section 3 of this act shall remain in
 5    full force and effect until revoked, vacated or modified
 6    under 35 Pa.C.S. § 7715. Contracts, obligations and
 7    collective bargaining agreements entered into under section 7
 8    of the Child Labor Act are not affected nor impaired by the
 9    repeal of section 7 of the Child Labor Act.
10        (2)   Except as set forth in paragraph (3), any difference
11    in language between 35 Pa.C.S. § 7715 and section 7 of the
12    Child Labor Act is intended only to conform to the style of
13    the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes and is not intended to
14    change or affect the legislative intent, judicial
15    construction or administration and implementation of section
16    7 of the Child Labor Act.
17        (3)   Paragraph (2) does not apply to the addition of 35
18    Pa.C.S. § 7715(b) and (d).
19    Section 5.    This act shall take effect in one year.




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