Pennsylvania officials have unanimously passed a new measure that seeks to ease the burden of student loan debt for municipal volunteers of fire companies, rescue companies, and non-profit emergency medical services.
An amended version of the bill will head to Pennsylvania's House of Representatives after it was passed Wednesday.
House Bill 1786, would establish the First Responder Loan Forgiveness Program, to incentivize people to consider alternative careers in order to address a decline in volunteers in those fields.
"I believe offering college loan forgiveness to first responders is an innovative and effective way to do so," State Representative Chris Sainato wrote in a memorandum in August.