Senator Blanche Lincoln (AR) has introduced legislation that would create a grant program through the Department of Homeland Security to reimburse state and local first responder agencies for any extraordinary financial burden that resulted from the deployment of one or more of their employees. Eligible reimbursable expenses include: the salary of an individual hired to replace an employee and overtime expenses for an employee performing tasks that would have been performed by the deployed employee.

The grant program would reimburse public safety agencies for additional expenses incurred when a police officer, firefighter, paramedic or EMT who is in the National Guard or Reserves is deployed for active military duty. To review the legislation, S.3719, click here.