HB1147--FIREFIGHTERSPROCEDURALBILLOFRIGHTSACT
SPONSOR: Ealy
Thisbillestablishesthe"FirefightersProceduralBillofRights
Act".Thebilldefinesa"firefighter"toincludeavolunteer
firefighterand"punitiveaction"asanyactionthatmayleadto
anytypeofpunishment.
Init'smainprovisionsthisbill:
(1)Specifiesthatwheneverondutyorinuniform,nofirefighter
shallbeprohibitedfromengaging,orbecoercedorrequiredto
engage,inpoliticalactivity;
(2)Specifiesthatfirefightersshallnotbeprohibitedfrom
seekingelectiontothegoverningboardofaschooldistrictorany
localagencywherethefirefighterisnotcurrentlyemployed;
(3)Createsseveralprovisionsforhowinterrogations mustbe
conductedwhenanyfirefighterisunderinvestigationbytheir
commandingofficeroranyothermemberdesignatedbytheemploying
departmentorlicensingorcertifyingagency,eachofwhichare
specifiedinthebill;
(4)Specifiesthatfirefightersmustnotbesubjectedtoany
punitiveaction,deniedpromotion,orthreatenedwithsuch
treatment,asaresultofthelawfulexerciseofrightsgrantedto
themunderthisbill.Punitiveactionorpromotiondenialon
groundsotherthanmeritshallnotbeundertakenbyanyemploying
department,licensingorcertifyingagencyagainstanyfirefighter
whohascompletedtheprobationaryperiodwithoutprovidingtheman
opportunityforadministrative appeal;
(5)Prohibitsafirechieffrombeingremovedbyapublicagency
orappointingauthoritywithoutbeingprovidedwrittennotice,the
reasonbehindtheremoval,andanopportunityforadministrative
appeal.Punitiveaction,ordenialofpromotionongroundsbesides
meritshallnotbeundertakenforanyact,omission,orother
allegationofmisconductiftheinvestigationoftheallegationis
notcompletedwithinoneyearofdiscoverybytheemployingfire
departmentorlicensingorcertifyingagency.Thislimitationonly
appliesifdiscoveryofsaidact,omission,orallegationoccurred
onorafterAugust28,2023.Iftheemployingdepartmentor
licensingorcertifyingagencydeterminesthatdisciplinemaybe
taken,itmustcompleteitsinvestigationandnotifythe
firefighteroftheproposeddisciplinaryactionwithinthatyear,
exceptinthecircumstancesspecifiedwithinthebill.If,after
theinvestigationandanypre-disciplinaryresponseorprocedureis complete,theemployingdepartmentoragencydecidestoimpose
discipline,itmustnotifythefirefighterinwritingofits
decisionwithin30daysofreachingitsdecision,butnotlessthan
48hoursbeforeimposingthediscipline;
(6)Createsprovisionsforthereopeningofaninvestigation
againstafirefighter,providedthattheconditionsspecified
withinthebillaremet;
(7)Requiresanyadministrative appealinstitutedbyafirefighter
mustbeconductedinaccordancewithrulesandproceduresthatare
adoptedbytheiremployingdepartmentorlicensingorcertifying
agencyinaccordancewithChapter536,RSMo.Iftheemploying
departmentissubjecttoamemorandumofunderstandingthat
providesforbindingarbitrationofadministrative appeals,the
arbitratororpanelshallserveasthehearingofficerandtheir
decisionshallbebinding. However,ifamemoofunderstandingwas
negotiatedwithanemployingagency,itshallnotcontrolthe
processforadministrativeappealsinstitutedwithlicensingor
certifyingagencies;
(8)Prohibitsafirefighterfromhavingcommentsadversetotheir
interestsenteredintotheirpersonnelfilewithouthavingfirst
readandsignedtheinstrumentcontainingthecommentindicating
theirawareness;theentrymaybemaderegardlessofwhetherthe
firefighterrefusestosign.Theirrefusaltosignshallbenoted
onthedocument,andsignedorinitialedbytherefusing
firefighter. Thefirefighterhas30daystofileawritten
responsetoanyadversecommententeredintheirfile,whichshall
beattachedto,andaccompany,theadversecomment. Additionally,
everyemployershall,withinreasonandupontherequestofa
firefighter,allowthemtoinspectpersonnelfilesthatareorhave
beenusedtodeterminethefirefighter'squalificationfor
employment,promotion,additionalcompensation,termination,or
otherdisciplinaryaction.Ifthefirefighterbelievesafter
examinationoftheirpersonnelfilethatanyportionofthe
materialthereinismistakenlyorunlawfullyplacedwithinthe
file,theymayrequestinwritingthatitbecorrectedordeleted.
Anyrequestmadepursuanttothisprovisionshallincludea
statementbythefirefighterdescribingthecorrectionsor
deletionsrequested,andthereasonssupportingthosecorrections
ordeletions. Theemployerhas30calendardaysofreceiptto
granttherequestornotify,inwriting,thereasonsforrefusing
therequest,allofwhichshallbecomepartoftheofficer's
personnelfile.
(9)Requiresthatnofirefightershallbecompelledtosubmittoa
liedetectortestagainsttheirwill,norshouldtheybe
disciplinedinanywayforrefusingtosubmittoaliedetector test,andnocommentshallbeenteredintheirpersonnelfilefor
refusingtosubmit;
(10)Specifiesthatforthepurposesoftheirjobassignmentor
otherpersonnelaction,afirefightershallnotberequiredto
discloseanyitemoftheirproperty,income,assets,debts,sources
ofincome,orpersonalordomesticexpenditures,unlessrequiredto
befurnishedunderstatelaworpursuanttoacourtorder;and
(11)Prohibitsanyonefromsearchinganyfirefighter'slockeror
otherwiseassignedstoragespaceownedorleasedbytheemployer,
exceptintheirpresenceandwiththeirconsent,orunlessavalid
searchwarranthasbeenobtained,orunlesstheyhavebeennotified
thatasearchwillbeconducted.
Itisunlawfulforanyemployingdepartmentorlicensingor
certifyingagencytodenyorrefusetoanyfirefightertherights
andprotectionsassociatedwiththisbill.Thecircuitcourtof
thecountyofpropervenuepossessesinitialjurisdictionoverany
proceedingbroughtbyanyfirefighteragainstanyemploying
departmentorlicensingorcertifyingagencyforviolationsofthe
theseprovisions. Ifthecourtfindsaviolationhasoccurred,it
mustrenderappropriateextraordinaryorinjunctivereliefto
remedytheviolationandpreventfutureoccurrencesofasimilar
nature.Ifthecourtfindsthatabadfaithorfrivolousactionor
filinghasbeenbroughtforanimproperpurpose,thecourtmay
ordersanctionsagainstthefilingparty,theirattorney,orboth.
Inadditiontotheaforementioned extraordinaryreliefaffordedby
theprovisionsofthisbill,uponacourt'sfindingthatafire
department,itsemployees,agents,orassigns,havemaliciously
violatedanyprovisionsmentionedwithinthebillwiththeintent
toinjurethefirefighter,thefiredepartmentshallbe,foreach
violation,liableforacivilpenaltyupto$25,000,tobeawarded
tothefirefighterwhoserightorprotectionwasdenied,andfor
reasonableattorney'sfeesasmaybesodeterminedbythecourt.
Ifthereissufficientevidencethatactualdamagesoccurred
againstthefirefighterinquestion,thedepartmentshallalsobe
liablefortheamountoftheactualdamages.
Afiredepartmentshallnotberequiredtoindemnifyacontractor
fortheirliabilityunderthisprovisionif,withinthecontract
betweenthedepartmentandthecontractor,aholdharmlessor
similarprovisionprotectingthefiredepartmentfromliabilityfor
actionsofthecontractor.
Nothingthroughoutthisbillshallbeconstrued,inanyway,to
limittheabilityofanyemploymentdepartment,licensingor
certifyingagency,oranyfirefightertofulfillmutualaid agreementswithotherjurisdictionsoragencies,andtheprovisions
ofthisbillshallnotbeconstruedinanywaytolimitanykindof
jurisdictional orinter-agencycooperationunderanycircumstances
wherethatactivityisdeemednecessaryordesirablebythose
jurisdictionsoragenciessoinvolved.
Allrightsandprotectionsdepictedintheprovisionsofthisbill
shallonlyapplytofirefightersineventsandcircumstancesin
whichtheyareperformingtheirofficialduties.