The HEROES Act would expand the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program to include service as a volunteer firefighter or a volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT) as qualifying public service. Specifically, it adds two new categories—qualified volunteer firefighter and qualified volunteer EMT—as acceptable public-service work for PSLF purposes, alongside current qualifying public-service jobs. The bill also requires the Education Secretary to set a minimum amount of volunteer time that can count as full-time employment for PSLF, and to establish a process to track and verify that volunteer time. Regulations would be issued after consulting with public-safety organizations to implement these changes. In short, the bill aims to help people who serve as volunteers in firefighting or emergency medical roles to qualify for PSLF, provided they meet defined criteria and time commitments, even if they are not employed full-time by the same organization.
Key Points
- 1Expands PSLF eligibility to include volunteer first responders: qualified volunteer firefighters and qualified volunteer emergency medical technicians.
- 2Definition of qualifications:
- 3- Qualified volunteer firefighter: provides firefighting, fire prevention, emergency medical, or related emergency-response services for a legally recognized fire department or public-safety organization, and is not a full-time employee of that same organization.
- 4- Qualified volunteer EMT: trained and licensed/certified to provide emergency medical care, performs care for an ambulance service, fire department, healthcare facility, or public-safety organization, and is not a full-time employee of the same organization.
- 5Time requirement: The Secretary of Education must determine the minimum volunteer time needed for these volunteers to be treated as if they were full-time workers for PSLF purposes, ensuring the minimum aligns with the level of time needed to be considered an active member of the organization.
- 6Public safety organization: Defined as a state, local, or tribal government agency or nonprofit focused on protecting life, health, or property.
- 7Regulations and verification: The Secretary to issue regulations—after consulting with public-safety organizations—to implement these changes, including how to verify and track volunteer time.