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Bill H.5431
SECTION 1. Chapter 22D of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-
Section 7. (a) There shall be within the department of fire services, but not under its control, a firefighter staffing coordinating council for the purposes of providing municipal staffing recommendations and administering the Firefighter Staffing Grant Fund established in section 2OOOOOO of chapter 29. The council shall consist of 7 members: the secretary of public safety and security or a designee; the state fire marshal or a designee; and 5 members to be appointed by the governor, 2 of whom shall be members of the Fire Chief’s Association of Massachusetts, Inc., 2 of whom shall be members of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts and 1 of whom shall be a representative of the insurance industry. The governor shall appoint members for a term of 3 years and any such member shall be eligible for reappointment. A person shall not receive compensation for service as a member of the council.
(b) Every 4 years, the council shall conduct a comprehensive municipal firefighter staffing survey to inform awards granted under the Firefighter Staffing Grant Fund. The council shall administer the fund and shall promulgate regulations necessary for its implementation.
(c) The council shall establish an application process, including application forms, deadlines and submission requirements. The council shall accept applications on an annual basis, or more frequently as the council may determine.
SECTION 2. Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2NNNNNN the following section:-
Section 2OOOOOO. (a) There is hereby established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Firefighter Staffing Grant Fund. The fund shall be administered by the firefighter staffing coordinating council, established in section 7 of chapter 22D, and shall be used exclusively to provide financial assistance to eligible municipalities to hire, retain and train firefighters to achieve staffing levels consistent with NFPA 1710 or, for volunteer and combination departments, NFPA 1720.
(b) The fund shall consist of: (i) appropriations or other money authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) funds from federal, private or other sources received by the commonwealth for the purposes of firefighter staffing assistance; (iii) interest earned on money in the fund; and (iv) funds from any other source.
(c) Money in the fund shall be expended without further appropriation. Any unexpended balance in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall be available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years.
SECTION 3. Not later than 180 days after the effective date of this act, the firefighter staffing coordinating council, established in section 7 of chapter 22D of the General Laws, shall promulgate any regulations required by said section 7 of said chapter 22D.
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