Texas House bill by Rep. Bonnen caps volunteer firefighter compensation at 20% of full-time pay

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Greg Bonnen aims to standardize compensation for volunteer firefighters by capping their benefits at 20% of full-time fire personnel pay in adjacent areas, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 47 Democrats and 83 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with no opposition.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, also with no opposing votes.

Greg Bonnen introduced the bill in the Texas House on Friday, March 14, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Bonnen graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS.

Bonnen, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State House in 2013 to represent the state’s 24th House district, replacing previous state representative Larry Taylor.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to volunteer firefighter compensation limits’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends Section 419.0322(c) of the Government Code, establishing a limit on the total compensation, reimbursement, or benefits that a fire department can provide to any individual designated as a volunteer or auxiliary firefighter. The compensation for a volunteer firefighter is capped at not exceeding 20% of the total compensation paid to full-time fire protection personnel in the adjacent area within a calendar year. The bill is set to become effective on Sept. 1, 2026. This change aims to standardize volunteer firefighter compensation relative to full-time personnel in nearby areas.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. Terri Leo-Wilson (Republican – District 23).

The bill received its final legislative approval on Tuesday, May 20, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.