SECTION 1.  Chapter 149 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 52A1/2, as appearing in the 1996 Official Edition, the following section:-

Section 52A3/4. Any member of the State Wildfire Team who, in order to serve as a member of the State Wildfire Team, not exceeding 21 days in any one calendar year, leaves a position in the employ of the commonwealth or of any city or town in the commonwealth, other than a temporary position, and who shall give limited notice to his employer of the date of departure and the date of return for the purposes of serving as a member of the State Wildfire Team, and of the satisfactory completion of such service immediately thereafter, and who is still qualified to perform the duties of such position, shall be entitled to be restored to his previous, or a similar, position with the same status, pay and seniority, and such period of absence for said service shall be construed as an absence with leave and, within the discretion of the employer, said leave may be with or without pay.

Such absence for serving as a member of the State Wildfire Team shall not affect the employee’s right to receive normal vacation, sick leave, bonus, advancement and other advantages of his employment normally to be anticipated in his particular position.