Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance Program; revise to remove eight rounds requirement.

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To: Insurance;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Carpenter

HOUSE BILL NO. 746

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 17-23-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT THAT A COUNTY HAS RECEIVED FUNDING FOR NO 2
MORE THAN EIGHT ROUNDS FROM THE RURAL FIRE TRUCK ACQUISITION 3
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IN ORDER TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL MATCHING 4
ASSISTANCE UNDER THE PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 6
SECTION 1. Section 17-23-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 7
amended as follows: 8
17-23-1. (1) There is established the Rural Fire Truck 9
Acquisition Assistance Program to be administered by the 10
Department of Insurance for the purpose of assisting counties and 11
municipalities in the acquisition of fire trucks. 12
(2) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to 13
be designated as the "Rural Fire Truck Fund." The Legislature may 14
appropriate that amount necessary to fulfill the obligations 15
created under this section by the Department of Insurance, from 16
the State General Fund to such special fund, which sum shall be 17
added to the remainder of the money transferred on July 1, 1995, 18
and during the 1996 Regular Session to the Rural Fire Truck Fund. 19
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Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal 20
year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest 21
earned on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of 22
the fund. Unobligated amounts remaining in the Rural Fire Truck 23
Fund, Fund No. 3507, or in any fund created for funds appropriated 24
or otherwise made available for this program, may be used as 25
matching funds by any county with remaining eligibility as 26
provided herein. It is the intent of the Legislature that the 27
Department of Insurance continue to accept applications from the 28
counties for fire trucks as provided in subsection (3) of this 29
section. 30
(3) (a) A county that meets the requirements provided 31
herein may receive an amount not to exceed One Million Ten 32
Thousand Dollars ($1,010,000.00) as provided in subparagraphs (i), 33
(ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x), (xi), 34
(xii) and (xiii) of this paragraph, and such amount shall be 35
divided as follows: an amount of not more than Fifty Thousand 36
Dollars ($50,000.00) per fire truck for the first six (6) trucks 37
and not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per fire 38
truck for the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh trucks, 39
and not more than Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per fire 40
truck for the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth truck. 41
Monies distributed under this chapter shall be expended only for 42
the purchase of new or used fire trucks and such trucks must meet 43
the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards in the 44
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1900 series and be approved by the Rural Fire Truck Review 45
Committee. 46
(i) Any county that has not applied for a fire 47
truck under this section is eligible to submit applications for 48
fifteen (15) fire trucks as follows: six (6) fire trucks at not 49
more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per truck and five 50
(5) fire trucks at not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars 51
($70,000.00) per truck, and four (4) fire trucks at not more than 52
Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a total of One 53
Million Ten Thousand Dollars ($1,010,000.00). 54
(ii) Any county that has received one (1) fire 55
truck under this section is eligible to submit applications for 56
fourteen (14) fire trucks as follows: five (5) fire trucks at not 57
more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per truck and five 58
(5) fire trucks at not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars 59
($70,000.00) per truck, and four (4) fire trucks at not more than 60
Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a total of Nine 61
Hundred Sixty Thousand Dollars ($960,000.00). 62
(iii) Any county that has received two (2) fire 63
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application for 64
thirteen (13) fire trucks as follows: four (4) fire trucks at not 65
more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per truck and five 66
(5) fire trucks at not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars 67
($70,000.00) per truck, and four (4) fire trucks at not more than 68
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Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a total of not 69
more than Nine Hundred Ten Thousand Dollars ($910,000.00). 70
(iv) Any county that has received three (3) fire 71
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application for 72
twelve (12) fire trucks as follows: three (3) fire trucks at not 73
more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per truck and five 74
(5) fire trucks at not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars 75
($70,000.00) per truck, and four (4) fire trucks at not more than 76
Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a total of not 77
more than Eight Hundred Sixty Thousand Dollars ($860,000.00). 78
(v) Any county that has received four (4) fire 79
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application for 80
eleven (11) fire trucks as follows: two (2) fire trucks at not 81
more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per truck and five 82
(5) fire trucks at not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars 83
($70,000.00) per truck, and four (4) fire trucks at not more than 84
Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a total of not 85
more than Eight Hundred Ten Thousand Dollars ($810,000.00). 86
(vi) Any county that has received five (5) fire 87
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application for 88
ten (10) fire trucks as follows: one (1) fire truck at not more 89
than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per truck and five (5) 90
fire trucks at not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) 91
per truck, and four (4) fire trucks at not more than Ninety 92
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Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a total of not more 93
than Seven Hundred Sixty Thousand Dollars ($760,000.00). 94
(vii) Any county that has received six (6) fire 95
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application for 96
nine (9) fire trucks as follows: five (5) fire trucks at not more 97
than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck, and four (4) 98
fire trucks at not more than Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) 99
per truck or a total of not more than Seven Hundred Ten Thousand 100
Dollars ($710,000.00). 101
(viii) Any county that has received seven (7) fire 102
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application for 103
eight (8) fire trucks as follows: four (4) fire trucks at not 104
more than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck, and 105
four (4) fire trucks at not more than Ninety Thousand Dollars 106
($90,000.00) per truck or a total of not more than Six Hundred 107
Forty Thousand Dollars ($640,000.00). 108
(ix) Any county that has received eight (8) fire 109
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application for 110
seven (7) fire trucks as follows: three (3) fire trucks at not 111
more than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck, and 112
four (4) fire trucks at not more than Ninety Thousand Dollars 113
($90,000.00) per truck or a total of not more than Five Hundred 114
Seventy Thousand Dollars ($570,000.00). 115
(x) Any county that has received nine (9) fire 116
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application for 117
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six (6) fire trucks as follows: two (2) fire trucks at not more 118
than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck, and four (4) 119
fire trucks at not more than Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) 120
per truck or a total of not more than Five Hundred Thousand 121
Dollars ($500,000.00). 122
(xi) Any county that has received ten (10) fire 123
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application for 124
five (5) fire trucks as follows: one (1) fire truck at not more 125
than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck, and four (4) 126
fire trucks at not more than Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) 127
per truck or a total of not more than Four Hundred Thirty Thousand 128
Dollars ($430,000.00). 129
(xii) Any county that has received eleven (11) 130
fire trucks under this section is eligible to submit an 131
application for four (4) fire trucks at not more than Ninety 132
Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck. 133
(xiii) Any county may apply for four (4) fire 134
trucks at not more than Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per 135
truck as provided in subparagraph (xii), provided that the county 136
agrees to forego any previous fire truck under subparagraphs (i) 137
through (xi) for which the county has not previously applied, and 138
that the county has received approval from the Rural Fire Truck 139
Acquisition Assistance Program Committee to apply for and receive 140
a truck under subparagraph (xii). 141
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(b) The board of supervisors of the county shall submit 142
its request for the receipt of monies to the Department of 143
Insurance. A committee composed of the Commissioner of Insurance, 144
the State Fire Coordinator, the Director of the Rating Bureau and 145
the Director of the State Fire Academy shall review the requests 146
by the boards of supervisors and shall determine whether the 147
county or municipality for which the board of supervisors has 148
requested a truck meets the requirements of eligibility under this 149
chapter. 150
(c) To be eligible to receive monies under this 151
chapter: 152
(i) A county or municipality must pledge to set 153
aside or dedicate each year as matching funds, for a period not to 154
extend over ten (10) years, local funds in an amount equal to or 155
not less than one-tenth (1/10) of the amount of monies for which 156
it is requesting distribution from the Rural Fire Truck Fund, 157
which pledged monies may be derived from local ad valorem tax 158
authorized by law or from any other funds available to the county 159
or municipality, except for those funds received by municipalities 160
or counties from the Municipal Fire Protection Fund or the County 161
Volunteer Fire Department Fund, as defined in Sections 83-1-37 and 162
83-1-39. 163
(ii) A municipality must provide adequate 164
documentation of its contract with the county that requires the 165
municipality to provide fire protection in rural areas. The term 166
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"rural areas" means any area within the county located outside the 167
boundaries of an incorporated municipality or any incorporated 168
municipality with a population of two thousand five hundred 169
(2,500) or less. 170
(d) The Department of Insurance shall maintain an 171
accurate record of all monies distributed to counties and 172
municipalities and the number of fire trucks purchased and the 173
cost for each fire truck, such records to be kept separate from 174
other records of the Department of Insurance; notify counties and 175
municipalities of the Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance 176
Program and the requirements for them to become eligible to 177
participate; adopt and promulgate such rules and regulations as 178
may be necessary and desirable to implement the provisions of this 179
chapter; and file with the Legislature a report detailing how 180
monies made available under this chapter were distributed and 181
spent during the preceding portion of the fiscal year in each 182
county and municipality, the number of fire trucks purchased, the 183
counties and municipalities making such purchases, and the cost of 184
each fire truck purchased. 185
(4) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to 186
be designated as the "Rural Fire Truck Matching Assistance Fund," 187
which shall consist of funds appropriated by the Legislature from 188
the State General Fund or any other special source fund. The 189
Department of Insurance shall use the funds for matching 190
assistance to counties and municipalities with remaining 191
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ST: Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance
Program; revise to remove eight rounds
requirement.
eligibility in accordance with the provisions of subsection (5) of 192
this section. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end 193
of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and 194
any interest earned on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to 195
the credit of the fund. 196
(5) Subject to appropriation by the Legislature, the 197
Department of Insurance may provide funds to counties and 198
municipalities out of the Rural Fire Truck Matching Assistance 199
Fund in an amount exceeding the amount authorized in subsection 200
(3) of this section. However, the total amount of funds allowed 201
under this subsection combined with the funds provided in 202
subsection (3) of this section shall not exceed eighty percent 203
(80%) of the purchase price of the rural fire truck. A county or 204
municipality is eligible for such matching assistance upon meeting 205
the following criteria: 206
(a) The county or municipality's application is 207
approved for funding in accordance with the criteria in subsection 208
(3) of this section; and 209
(b) The department determines that the county or 210
municipality does not have sufficient funds available for the 211
purchase of a rural fire truck with the funds authorized in 212
subsection (3) of this section * * *. 213
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 214
and after its passage. 215