Adopted

AMENDMENT NO 1 PROPOSED TO

Cmte Sub for House Bill No. 1194

BY: Representatives Reynolds, Lancaster, Owen, Bain, Watson, Holloway, Goodin, Byrd, Steverson, Straughter, Rushing, Hale, Carpenter, Barnett, Miles, Ladner, Hood, Tubb, Horan, Tullos, Felsher, Sanford, Calvert, Bell (21st), McCarty, Pigott, Arnold, Roberson, Powell, Creekmore IV, Kinkade, Evans (45th)

AMEND by inserting the following language after line 281:

SECTION 2.  (1)  There is established the 2023 Supplementary Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance Program to be administered by the Department of Insurance for the purpose of assisting counties and municipalities in the acquisition of fire trucks.  The 2023 Supplementary Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance Program is in addition to the rural fire truck acquisition assistance program established in Section 17-23-1 or any other program by which counties and municipalities acquire fire trucks.

     (2)  There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the "2023 Supplementary Rural Fire Truck 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 assisting counties and municipalities in the acquisition of fire trucks.  Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall lapse into the State General Fund.

     (3)  (a)  A county that meets the requirements provided herein may receive an amount of not more than One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) per fire truck for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, and ending July 1, 2024.  Monies distributed under this section shall be expended only for the purchase of new fire trucks and such trucks must meet the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards in the 1900 series.

          (b)  The board of supervisors of the county shall submit its request for the receipt of monies to the Department of Insurance.  A committee composed of the Commissioner of Insurance, the State Fire Coordinator, the Director of the Rating Bureau and the Director of the State Fire Academy shall review the requests by the boards of supervisors and shall determine whether the county or municipality for which the board of supervisors has requested a truck meets the requirements of eligibility under this section.

          (c)  To be eligible to receive monies under this section:

              (i)  A county or municipality must pledge to set aside or dedicate each year as matching funds, for a period not to extend over ten (10) years, local funds in an amount equal to or not less than one-tenth (1/10) of the amount of monies for which it is requesting distribution from the 2023 Supplementary Rural Fire Truck Fund, which pledged monies may be derived from local ad valorem tax authorized by law or from any other funds available to the county or municipality, except for those funds received by municipalities or counties from the Municipal Fire Protection Fund or the County Volunteer Fire Department Fund, as defined in Sections 83-1-37 and 83-1-39.

              (ii)  A municipality must provide adequate documentation of its contract with the county that requires the municipality to provide fire protection in rural areas.  The term "rural areas" means any area within the county located outside the boundaries of an incorporated municipality or any incorporated municipality with a population of two thousand five hundred (2,500) or less.

              (iii)  A county or a municipality, designated by the county, must have exhausted all rounds of applications for fire trucks available to it under Section 17-23-1.

          (d)  The Department of Insurance shall maintain an accurate record of all monies distributed to counties and municipalities and the number of fire trucks purchased and the cost for each fire truck, such records to be kept separate from other records of the Department of Insurance; notify counties and municipalities of the 2023 Supplementary Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance Program and the requirements for them to become eligible to participate; adopt and promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary and desirable to implement the provisions of this section; and file with the Legislature a report detailing how monies made available under this section were distributed and spent in each county and municipality, the number of fire trucks purchased, the counties and municipalities making such purchases and the cost of each fire truck purchased.

AMEND further on line 282 by striking the figure "2" and inserting in lieu thereof: 3

AMEND further on line 283 by striking the word "October" and by inserting in lieu thereof:  July

AMEND title to conform