Washington, D.C.—This afternoon, the Treasury Department announced it would ensure ‘fair treatment’ for volunteer firefighters and emergency responders under the Affordable Care Act and clarified they would not be subject to the Obamacare mandate.

“Today’s announcement is good news for the millions of people in America who rely on volunteer fire and emergency providers,” said Rep. McKinley. “Due to pressure from Congress and the public, the Obama Administration has backed down from their initial stance. We are glad they listened. We appreciate the volunteer firefighters in our district who brought this to our attention and helped raise awareness of the problem.”

Rep. McKinley co-sponsored the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act (H.R. 3685) which would exempt volunteer firefighters and emergency medical providers from the employer mandate under Obamacare. He also wrote a letter to President Obama urging him to review this policy and exempt volunteer firefighters from the mandate.