Adopted
AMENDMENT NO 2 PROPOSED TO
Cmte Sub for House Bill No. 948
BY: Representatives Gipson, Carpenter, Byrd, McLeod, Miles
AMEND after line 186 by inserting the following new section and renumbering the succeeding section:
SECTION 5. Section 17-23-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
17-23-1. (1) There is established the 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, firefighting equipment and/or personal protective equipment and related gear.
(2) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the "Rural Fire Truck Fund." The Legislature may appropriate that amount necessary to fulfill the obligations created under this section by the Department of Insurance, from the State General Fund to such special fund, which sum shall be added to the remainder of the money transferred on July 1, 1995, and during the 1996 Regular Session to the Rural Fire Truck Fund. 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. Unobligated amounts remaining in the Rural Fire Truck Fund, Fund No. 3507, or in Fund No. 3508, or in Fund No. 3504, or in any fund created for funds appropriated or otherwise made available for this program, may be used as matching funds by any county with remaining eligibility as provided herein. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Department of Insurance continue to accept applications from the counties for fire trucks as provided in subsection (3) of this section.
(3) (a) A county that
meets the requirements provided herein may receive an amount not to exceed * * *
Seven Hundred Twenty Thousand Dollars ($720,000.00) as provided in
subparagraphs (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x) * * *, (xi) and (xii) of this
paragraph, and such amount shall be divided as follows: an amount of not more
than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per fire truck for the first six (6)
trucks and not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per fire truck
for the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth * * *, eleventh and twelfth
trucks. Monies distributed under this chapter 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.
(i) Any county
that has not applied for a fire truck under this section is eligible to submit
applications for * * * twelve (12) fire trucks as follows: six (6) fire trucks
at not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per truck and * * * six (6) fire trucks at not more
than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck or a total of * * *
Seven Hundred Twenty Thousand Dollars ($720,000.00).
(ii) Any county
that has received one (1) fire truck under this section is eligible to submit
applications for * * * eleven (11) fire trucks as follows: six (6) fire trucks
at not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per truck and * * * six (6) fire trucks at not more
than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck or a total of * * *
Six Hundred Seventy Thousand Dollars ($670,000.00).
(iii) Any county
that has received two (2) fire trucks under this section is eligible to submit
an application for * * * ten (10) fire trucks as follows: four (4) fire trucks at
not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per truck and * * * six (6) fire trucks at not more
than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck or a total of not more
than * * * Six Hundred Twenty Thousand
Dollars ($620,000.00).
(iv) Any county
that has received three (3) fire trucks under this section is eligible to
submit an application for * * *eight (8) nine (9) fire trucks as follows: three (3) fire
trucks at not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per truck and * * * six (6) fire trucks at not more
than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck or a total of not more
than * * * Five Hundred Seventy
Thousand Dollars ($570,000.00).
(v) Any county
that has received four (4) fire trucks under this section is eligible to submit
an application for * * * eight (8) fire trucks as follows: two (2) fire trucks at
not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per truck and * * * six (6) fire trucks at not more
than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck or a total of not more
than * * * Five Hundred Twenty
Thousand Dollars ($520,000.00).
(vi) Any county
that has received five (5) fire trucks under this section is eligible to submit
an application for * * * seven (7) fire trucks as follows: one (1) fire truck at
not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per truck and * * * six (6) fire trucks at not more
than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck or a total of not more
than * * * Four Hundred Seventy
Thousand Dollars ($470,000.00).
(vii) Any county
that has received six (6) fire trucks under this section is eligible to submit
an application for * * * six (6) fire trucks at not more than Seventy Thousand
Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck or a total of not more than * * *
Four Hundred Twenty Thousand Dollars ($420,000.00).
(viii) Any county
that has received seven (7) fire trucks under this section is eligible to
submit an application for * * *four (4) five (5) fire trucks at not more than * * *
Three Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($350,000.00).
(ix) Any county
that has received eight (8) fire trucks under this section is eligible to
submit an application for * * *three (3) four (4) fire trucks at not more than * * * Two
Hundred Eighty Thousand Dollars ($280,000.00).
(x) Any county
that has received nine (9) fire trucks under this section is eligible to submit
an application for * * * three (3) fire trucks at not more than * * *
Two Hundred Ten Thousand Dollars ($210,000.00).
(xi) Any county
that has received ten (10) fire trucks under this section is eligible to submit
an application for * * * two (2) fire trucks at not more than * * * One
Hundred Forty Thousand Dollars ($140,000.00).
(xi) Any county that has received eleven (11) fire trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application for one (1) fire truck at not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00).
(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 chapter.
(c) To be eligible to receive monies under this chapter:
(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 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.
(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 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 chapter;
and file with the Legislature a report detailing how monies made available
under this chapter were distributed and spent during the preceding portion of
the fiscal year in each county and municipality, the number of fire trucks
purchased, the counties and municipalities making such purchases, * * * the cost of each fire truck purchased and
the equipment/gear purchased under paragraph (e) of this subsection.
(e) Any county participating in any round under this section may request and receive an amount up to Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) for firefighting equipment and/or personal protective equipment and related gear.
AMEND further the title as follows on line 13 by inserting the following after the semicolon:
"TO AMEND SECTION 17-23-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE AN ADDITIONAL ROUND FOR THE RURAL FIRE TRUCK ACQUISITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM;"