House Bill 330

AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI RURAL FIRE TRUCK EQUIPMENT AND APPARATUS GRANT PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE THAT THE MISSISSIPPI INSURANCE DEPARTMENT SHOULD DIRECT AND ADMINISTER THE GRANT PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE THE PURPOSE AND CRITERIA OF THE PROGRAM; TO CREATE A SPECIAL FUND FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM; TO AMEND SECTION 45-33-57, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY SHALL IMPOSE A QUARTERLY FEE OF FIVE DOLLARS ON REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS TO DEPOSIT INTO THE SPECIAL FUND FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. The Mississippi Rural Fire Truck Equipment and Apparatus Grant Program is established under the direction and administration of the Mississippi Insurance Department for the purpose of making grants to rural fire departments in Mississippi to supplement investments in fire fighting equipment and apparatus.

SECTION 2. (1) Any Mississippi rural fire department desiring to participate in the program shall make application for a grant to the department in a form satisfactory to the department. The department shall receive grant proposals from Mississippi rural fire departments. All proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the provisions of grant procedures, criteria and standards developed and made public by the department. Local matching funds are required for any grant in an amount of at least a fifty-fifty (50-50) matching basis with state grant funds. All approved grants shall be awarded within thirty (30) days of approval by the department.

(2) The department shall use the funds provided by the special fund created in Section 3 of this act to make grants to Mississippi rural fire departments upon proposals made under subsection (1) of this section. Grants that are awarded to Mississippi rural fire departments shall only be used by those departments to purchase fire fighting equipment and apparatus.

(3) The department shall develop regulations, procedures and application forms to govern how grants will be awarded, shall develop a plan to ensure that grants are awarded to most deserving Mississippi rural fire departments, and shall develop an audit process to assure that grant monies are used in the manner awarded.

SECTION 3. There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the "Mississippi Rural Fire Truck Equipment and Apparatus Grant Program Fund" which shall consist of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the Legislature in any manner, and funds from any other source designated for deposit into such fund. Monies in the fund shall be used for the purpose of providing grants under the Mississippi Rural Fire Truck Equipment and Apparatus Grant Program created in Section 1 of this act. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of the fund.

SECTION 4. Section 45-33-57, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

45-33-57. (1) The Department of Public Safety may adopt regulations to establish fees to be charged for information requests under this chapter.

(2) The Department of Public Safety may adopt regulations to establish fees to be charged to registrants for registration, reregistration, and verification or change of address.

(3) Regulations promulgated under this section shall be duly filed with the Secretary of State under the Administrative Procedures Act.

(4) In addition to the fees established through regulations adopted under this section, the Department of Public Safety shall impose an additional fee of Five Dollars ($5.00) on a quarterly basis upon any person required to be registered under Section 45-33-25. The monies collected under this subsection (4) shall be deposited into the Mississippi Rural Fire Truck Equipment and Apparatus Grant Program Fund established under Section 3 of this act.

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2018.