Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H5431: An Act relative to firefighter staffing
Status: In committee, August 6, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, April 8, 2026:
SECTION 1. Chapter 22D of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:- Section 7. (a) There shall be within the department of fire services, but not under its control, a firefighter staffing coordinating council for the purposes of providing municipal staffing recommendations and administering the Firefighter Staffing Grant Fund established in section 2OOOOOO of chapter 29. The council shall consist of 7 members: the secretary of public safety and security or a designee; the state fire marshal or a designee; and 5 members to be appointed by the governor, of whom shall be members of the Fire Chief’s Association of Massachusetts, Inc., of whom shall be members of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts and 1 of whom shall be a representative of the insurance industry. The governor shall appoint members for a term of 3 years and any such member shall be eligible for reappointment. A person shall not receive compensation for service as a member of the council. (b) Every 4 years, the council shall conduct a comprehensive municipal firefighter staffing survey to inform awards granted under the Firefighter Staffing Grant Fund. The council shall administer the fund and shall promulgate regulations necessary for its implementation. (c) The council shall establish an application process, including application forms, deadlines and submission requirements. The council shall …
Sponsors
- Carole Fiola (D) · primary sponsor
- James Hawkins (D, 2nd Bristol)
- Adam Scanlon (D, 14th Bristol)
- Christine Barber (D)
Latest actions
- : Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means
- : Hearing scheduled for 06/08/2026 from 09:00 AM-12:00 PM in Written Testimony Only
- : Senate concurred
- : Reported, referred to the committee on Joint Rules, reported, rules suspended and referred to the committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security
- : Referred to the committee on House Rules
Votes
- Committee Vote - Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security (July 31, 2026): 13 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is H5431?
- H5431 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act relative to firefighter staffing.
- What is the status of H5431?
- In committee as of August 6, 2026. Latest action: Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means (August 6, 2026).
- Who sponsored H5431?
- Carole Fiola (D), with 3 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for H5431?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5431
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.