GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2009

SESSION LAW 2009-21

HOUSE BILL 557

AN ACT to enact the future Volunteer firefighters & rescue squad members act of north carolina.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Future Volunteer Firefighters & Rescue Squad Members Act of North Carolina."

SECTION 2.  G.S. 95-25.5 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:

"(n) Nothing in this section prohibits qualified youths under 18 years of age from participating in training through their fire department, the Office of State Fire Marshal, or the North Carolina Community College System. As used in this subsection, the term 'qualified youth under 18 years of age' means an uncompensated fire department or rescue squad member who is over the age of 15 and under the age of 18 and who is a member of a bona fide fire department, as that term is defined in G.S. 58-86-25, or of a rescue squad described in G.S. 58-86-30."

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 23^rd day of April, 2009.

                                                    s/  Walter H. Dalton

                                                         President of the Senate

                                                    s/  William L. Wainwright

                                                         Speaker Pro Tempore of the House of Representatives

                                                    s/  Beverly E. Perdue

                                                         Governor

Approved 6:22 p.m. this 4^th day of May, 2009