2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-5500/1
MIM:emw
November 26, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives Novak, Behnke, Dittrich, Kurtz, Mursau and Ortiz-Velez, cosponsored by Senator Marklein. Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
AB691,1,2
1An Act to amend 16.25 (3) (g) of the statutes; relating to: service award
2program. Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
The service award program, administered by the Department of Administration, provides length-of-service awards to volunteer firefighters, volunteer emergency medical responders, and volunteer emergency medical services practitioners.
Under current law, vesting occurs once a volunteer firefighter, volunteer emergency medical responder, or volunteer emergency medical services practitioner attains 15 years of service for a municipality and reaches the age of 60. This bill changes the program so a volunteer firefighter, volunteer emergency medical responder, or volunteer emergency medical services practitioner is fully vested to receive a service award once he or she attains 20 years of service for a municipality and reaches the age of 53.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
AB691,1
1Section 1. 16.25 (3) (g) of the statutes is amended to read: AB691,2,19216.25 (3) (g) A volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or 3emergency medical services practitioner shall be paid a length of service award 4either in a lump sum or in a manner specified by rule, consisting of all municipal 5and state contributions made on behalf of the volunteer fire fighter, emergency 6medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner and all earnings on 7the contributions, less any expenses incurred in the investment of the contributions 8and earnings, after the volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or 9emergency medical services practitioner attains 15 20 years of service for a 10municipality and reaches the age of 60 53. If a volunteer fire fighter, emergency 11medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner has satisfied all 12vesting requirements under the program but has at least 10 but less than 15 20 13years of service for a municipality or and has reached the age of 53 but has not 14reached the age of 60, the program shall provide for the payment of a length of 15service award either in a lump sum or in a manner specified by rule in an amount to 16be determined by the department, but less than the amount paid to a volunteer fire 17fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner 18who has attained 15 20 years of service for a municipality and has reached the age 19of 60 53. The department shall promulgate rules implementing this paragraph.
