{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://thompson.house.gov/press-release/thompson-advances-fight-against-health-care-law%E2%80%99s-mandates-volunteer-firefighting-and", "Thompson Advances Fight Against Health Care Law\u2019s Mandates on Volunteer Firefighting and Emergency Organizations", "2013-12-11", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "PA", "Glenn Thompson", "T000467", "thompson.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Glenn 'GT' Thompson (PA-5) today joined fellow Members of Congress in holding a press conference to discuss the introduction of the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act (H.R. 3685), which will ensure that emergency services volunteers are not counted as full-time employees under the employer mandate in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). \u00a0\n\t\u201cUnder the President\u2019s health care law, volunteer firefighting organizations could potentially be defined as employers, meaning they would be forced to provide health insurance to their volunteers or be subject to penalties. If not corrected or clarified this provision has the potential to close volunteer fire houses across the commonwealth,\u201d stated Rep. Thompson, a 30-year volunteer firefighter, EMT, and state-certified Rescue Technician. \u201cThis bill is about providing certainty to our local volunteer organizations and standing up for those who put their lives on the line protecting our communities.\u201d\n\n\tUnder the ACA\u2019s employer mandate, volunteer organizations with 50 or more employees could be forced to provide health insurance or pay penalties. H.R. 3685 would ensure that volunteer firefighters and EMTs are not counted as employees under the law.\n\tIn September, Representative Lou Barletta (PA-11), the bill\u2019s sponsor, sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel seeking clarification for volunteer fire companies. The IRS has not responded to the letter.\n\tOver 97% of Pennsylvania\u2019s fire departments \u2013 and 90% nationwide - are served by community volunteers.\u00a0 Fire companies could exceed the 50 employee threshold in several different ways: by themselves based on their size, by being part of a larger combined force under several different chiefs, or by being part of a municipality that has 50 or more public employees in total. \u00a0\n\tH.R. 3685 is supported by the National Volunteer Fire Council and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://thompson.house.gov/press-release/thompson-advances-fight-against-health-care-law%E2%80%99s-mandates-volunteer-firefighting-and"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.045346889644861, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}