Firefighter legislation backed by Scott signed into law
Bills would improve training for junior firefighters, protect responders from PFAS
Rep. Greg Scott October 23, 2026 | 2:51 PM
HARRISBURG, Oct. 23 - Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Thursday signed into law two bills championed by state Rep. Greg Scott, who serves as a volunteer firefighter.
Scott’s H.B. 2014, now law, allows minors to engage in training and firefighting activities until 10 p.m. any night of the year.
“The number of Pennsylvania residents volunteering for their local fire companies has been in steady decline since the 1970s,” said Scott, D-Montgomery. “We’re in crisis. Many of our emergency response organizations are chronically understaffed and unable to respond efficiently to calls. This bill helps position us to grow our volunteer base, starting with our youngest volunteers.”
Under the state’s Child Labor Act, minors can engage in training or firefighting activities until 10 p.m. the night before a school day. Yet on weekends, holidays and over summer academic breaks, that curfew was only 9 p.m.
Scott said that this updated curfew will help support the pipeline of trained volunteers needed to respond to community emergencies.
Senate Bill 804 was amended in the state House to include protections Scott fought for regarding PFAS, known as “forever chemicals.” The new law bans firefighting foam containing PFAS. It also requires labels on firefighting gear containing PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that are linked to increased risks of cancer, immune-system suppression and other serious health conditions.
“As a volunteer firefighter, it was important to me that this bill not only protect the residents who live in areas significantly impacted by PFAS-containing foams, but also the men and women who put their lives on the line when a fire needs to be extinguished,” Scott said. “We’re doing them and ourselves a disservice if we’re not properly informing them of the risks of using protective gear that contains PFAS.”
H.B. 2014 is now Act 78 of 2026; and S.B. 804 became Act 98 of 2026.