HCSHB1190--FIREFIGHTERS
SPONSOR: Wellenkamp
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonEmergingIssuesbyavoteof13to0.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
1190.
Thisbillestablishesthe"Firefighters' ProceduralBillofRights
Act".
Thebilldefinesa"firefighter"asanyMissouriresidentwhois
employedfull-timeorpart-timebyapublicagencyinMissouriasa
firefighterorfirstresponderorancillaryservicepersonnel,
whichalsoincludesemergencymedicalserviceworkers,dispatchers,
paramedics,emergencymaintenancetechnicians,andemergency
medicaltechnicians(EMTs),butdoesnotincludeanemployeewho
hasnotsuccessfullycompletedhisorherprobationaryperiod
establishedbyanemployerasaconditionofemployment.
Thebilldefines"interrogation" asanyformalinterview,inquiry,
orquestioningofanyfirefighterregardingmisconductorviolation
ofpolicy.Thebillalsodefinestermssuchas"representative"
and"socialmediaaccount"amongothertermsdetailedinthebill.
Provisionsinthisbillinclude,butarenotlimitedto,thatit:
(1)Specifiesthat,exceptwhenondutyorinuniform,no
firefighterwillbeprohibitedfromengaging,orbecoercedor
requiredtoengage,inpoliticalactivity;
(2)Specifiesthatfirefighterswillnotbeprohibitedfrom
seekingelectiontothegoverningboardofaschooldistrictorany
localagencywherethefirefighterisnotcurrentlyemployed;
(3)Createsseveralprovisionsforhowinterrogations mustbe
conductedwhenanyfirefighterisunderinvestigationbyhisorher
commandingofficeroranyothermemberdesignatedbytheemploying
departmentorlicensingorcertifyingagency,eachofwhichis
specifiedinthebill,includingtherequirementthatpriortoan
interviewsession,theinvestigatormustadvisethefirefighterof
therulessetoutincertaincourtcases;
(4)Createsprovisionsforthereopeningofaninvestigation
againstafirefighter,providedthatthespecifiedconditionsare
met;and (5)Prohibitsanyonefromsearchinganyfirefighter'slockeror
otherassignedstoragespaceownedorleasedbytheemployer,
exceptinthefirefighter'spresenceandwithhisorherconsent,
orunlessavalidsearchwarranthasbeenobtained,orunlessheor
shehavebeennotifiedthatasearchwillbeconducted.
Thebillalsorequiresthatallpersonallyidentifyinginformation
aboutthefirefighter'sfamilywillbeheldconfidentially and
protectedfromreleasetothepublic.Inaddition,theemploying
agencywillnot,eitherdirectlyorindirectly,causethe
disclosureofafirefighter'susername,password,oranyother
informationthatwouldprovideaccesstopersonalsocialmedia
accounts.
Itisunlawfulforanyemployingdepartmentorlicensingor
certifyingagencytodenyorrefusetoanyfirefightertherights
andprotectionsintheseprovisions. Thecircuitcourtofthe
countyofpropervenuepossessesinitialjurisdictionoverany
proceedingbroughtbyanyfirefighteragainstanyemploying
departmentorlicensingorcertifyingagencyforviolationsofthe
theseprovisions. Ifthecourtfindsaviolationhasoccurred,it
mustrenderappropriateextraordinaryorinjunctivereliefto
remedytheviolationandpreventfutureoccurrencesofasimilar
nature.Ifthecourtfindsthatabadfaithorfrivolousactionor
filinghasbeenbroughtforanimproperpurpose,thecourtcan
ordersanctionsagainstthefilingparty,theirattorney,orboth.
Inadditiontotheextraordinaryreliefaffordedbytheprovisions
ofthisbill,uponacourt'sfindingthatafiredepartment,its
employees,agents,orassignshavemaliciouslyviolatedany
provisionsmentionedwithinthebillwiththeintenttoinjurethe
firefighter,thefiredepartmentwillbe,foreachviolation,
liableforacivilpenaltyupto$25,000,tobeawardedtothe
firefighterwhoserightorprotectionwasdenied,andfor
reasonableattorneys'feesascanbedeterminedbythecourt.If
thereissufficientevidencethatactualdamagesoccurredagainst
thefirefighterinquestion,thedepartmentwillalsobeliablefor
theamountoftheactualdamages.
Afiredepartmentwillnotberequiredtoindemnifyacontractor
forliabilityunderthisprovisionifthereis,withinthecontract
betweenthedepartmentandthecontractor,aholdharmlessor
similarprovisionprotectingthefiredepartmentfromliabilityfor
actionsofthecontractor.
Nothinginthisbillwillbeconstrued,inanyway,tolimitthe
abilityofanyemploymentdepartment,licensingorcertifying
agency,oranyfirefightertofulfillmutualaidagreementswith
otherjurisdictionsoragencies,andtheprovisionsofthisbill mustnotbeconstruedinanywaytolimitanykindof
jurisdictional orinter-agencycooperationunderanycircumstances
wherethatactivityisdeemednecessaryordesirablebythose
jurisdictionsoragenciessoinvolved.
Allrightsandprotectionsdepictedintheprovisionsofthisbill
willonlyapplytofirefightersineventsandcircumstancesin
whichtheyareperformingtheirofficialduties.
ThisbillissimilartoHB1769(2024)andHB1147(2023).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatfirefightersshouldhavethesame
rightsaseveryoneelse,suchasthefreedomtoparticipateinthe
democraticprocess,likerunningforpoliticaloffice.Supporters
furthersaythattheprovisionsofthisbillcodifytherightsof
firefightersinregardtotheemployer/employee relationship,
especiallywhenitcomestodisciplinaryactions.Thisbillwill
requirethatfirefightersbetreatedfairly,withouthavingto
worryaboutunpredictableoutcomes.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Wellenkamp;
StephenDavis,MissouriStateCouncilOfFireFighters;Taylor
Serdorff,MissouriStateCouncilOfFirefighters;ZacharySchwarz,
ProfessionalFirefightersOfSt.CharlesCityL757.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatallofthe
provisionsinthisbillcanbemuchbetterhandledthrougha
collectivebargainingagreementwithemployersorinthe
negotiationofalaborcontract.Opponentsfurthersaythatthese
provisions,ifenacted,couldeasilyleadtofarmorelawsuitsand
muchmoreofanadministrative nightmareintryingtoapplythose
provisions.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwereDavidKlarich,Robertson
FireProtectionDistrict;ArnieC."Honest-Abe"Dienoff-StatePublic
Advocate;StevenCarroll,MehlvilleFireProtectionDistrict.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.