SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Lawmakers are working to change how firefighters are compensated for their service.

Right now, if a firefighter leaves his or her department to work in another, they lose some benefits.

Firefighters outside Chicago who started work after 2011 are not allowed to buy service credit after changing departments.

According to State Senator Laura Ellman, members of a pension system get credits for the time they’ve worked. These members can purchase additional service credits that essentially move them from one pension system to another. Those credits will then be used to calculate how much that pensioner receives.

The President of the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois says an Illinois Senate bill would allow tier-2 firefighters hired after 2011 to have the same ability as tier-1 firefighters.

“We just believe that it is a decent benefit for our members to be able to earn pensionable credit whenever they are working,” says AFFI President Chuck Sullivan.

The measure cleared the pensions committee unanimously. It’s headed to the Senate floor for further consideration.