Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance Program; authorize an additional round for and remove certain limiting language.

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To: Insurance;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Hale

HOUSE BILL NO. 851

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 17-23-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
AUTHORIZE AN ADDITIONAL ROUND OF FIRE TRUCKS FOR COUNTIES AND 2
MUNICIPALITIES UNDER THE RURAL FIRE TRUCK ACQUISITION ASSISTANCE 3
PROGRAM; TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT THAT A COUNTY HAS RECEIVED 4
FUNDING FOR NO MORE THAN EIGHT ROUNDS FROM THE RURAL TRUCK 5
ACQUISITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IN ORDER TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL 6
MATCHING ASSISTANCE UNDER THE PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 7
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 8
SECTION 1. Section 17-23-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 9
amended as follows: 10
17-23-1. (1) There is established the Rural Fire Truck 11
Acquisition Assistance Program to be administered by the 12
Department of Insurance for the purpose of assisting counties and 13
municipalities in the acquisition of fire trucks. 14
(2) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to 15
be designated as the "Rural Fire Truck Fund." The Legislature may 16
appropriate that amount necessary to fulfill the obligations 17
created under this section by the Department of Insurance, from 18
the State General Fund to such special fund, which sum shall be 19
added to the remainder of the money transferred on July 1, 1995, 20
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and during the 1996 Regular Session to the Rural Fire Truck Fund. 21
Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal 22
year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest 23
earned on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of 24
the fund. Unobligated amounts remaining in the Rural Fire Truck 25
Fund, Fund No. 3507, or in any fund created for funds appropriated 26
or otherwise made available for this program, may be used as 27
matching funds by any county with remaining eligibility as 28
provided herein. It is the intent of the Legislature that the 29
Department of Insurance continue to accept applications from the 30
counties for fire trucks as provided in subsection (3) of this 31
section. 32
(3) (a) A county that meets the requirements provided 33
herein may receive an amount not to exceed * * * One Million One 34
Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,100,000.00) as provided in 35
subparagraphs (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), 36
(ix), (x), (xi), (xii) and (xiii) of this paragraph, and such 37
amount shall be divided as follows: an amount of not more than 38
Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per fire truck for the first 39
six (6) trucks and not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars 40
($70,000.00) per fire truck for the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth 41
and eleventh trucks, and not more than Ninety Thousand Dollars 42
($90,000.00) per fire truck for the twelfth, thirteenth, 43
fourteenth * * *, fifteenth and sixteenth truck. Monies 44
distributed under this chapter shall be expended only for the 45
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purchase of new or used fire trucks and such trucks must meet the 46
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards in the 1900 47
series and be approved by the Rural Fire Truck Review Committee. 48
(i) Any county that has not applied for a fire 49
truck under this section is eligible to submit applications 50
for * * * sixteen (16) fire trucks as follows: six (6) fire 51
trucks at not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per 52
truck and five (5) fire trucks at not more than Seventy Thousand 53
Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck, and * * * five (5) fire trucks at 54
not more than Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a 55
total of * * * One Million One Hundred Thousand Dollars 56
($1,100,000.00). 57
(ii) Any county that has received one (1) fire 58
truck under this section is eligible to submit applications 59
for * * * fifteen (15) fire trucks as follows: five (5) fire 60
trucks at not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per 61
truck and five (5) fire trucks at not more than Seventy Thousand 62
Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck, and * * * five (5) fire trucks at 63
not more than Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a 64
total of * * * One Million Fifty Thousand Dollars ($1,050,000.00). 65
(iii) Any county that has received two (2) fire 66
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application 67
for * * * fourteen (14) fire trucks as follows: four (4) fire 68
trucks at not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per 69
truck and five (5) fire trucks at not more than Seventy Thousand 70
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Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck, and * * * five (5) fire trucks at 71
not more than Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a 72
total of not more than * * * One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00). 73
(iv) Any county that has received three (3) fire 74
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application 75
for * * * thirteen (13) fire trucks as follows: three (3) fire 76
trucks at not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per 77
truck and five (5) fire trucks at not more than Seventy Thousand 78
Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck, and * * * five (5) fire trucks at 79
not more than Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a 80
total of not more than * * * Nine Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars 81
($950,000.00). 82
(v) Any county that has received four (4) fire 83
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application 84
for * * * twelve (12) fire trucks as follows: two (2) fire trucks 85
at not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per truck and 86
five (5) fire trucks at not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars 87
($70,000.00) per truck, and * * * five (5) fire trucks at not more 88
than Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a total of 89
not more than * * * Nine Hundred Thousand Dollars ($900,000.00). 90
(vi) Any county that has received five (5) fire 91
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application 92
for * * * eleven (11) fire trucks as follows: one (1) fire truck 93
at not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per truck and 94
five (5) fire trucks at not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars 95
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($70,000.00) per truck, and * * * five (5) fire trucks at not more 96
than Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a total of 97
not more than * * * Eight Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars 98
($850,000.00). 99
(vii) Any county that has received six (6) fire 100
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application 101
for * * * ten (10) fire trucks as follows: five (5) fire trucks 102
at not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck, 103
and * * * five (5) fire trucks at not more than Ninety Thousand 104
Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a total of not more than * * * 105
Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars ($800,000.00). 106
(viii) Any county that has received seven (7) fire 107
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application 108
for * * * nine (9) fire trucks as follows: four (4) fire trucks 109
at not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck, 110
and * * * five (5) fire trucks at not more than Ninety Thousand 111
Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a total of not more than * * * 112
Seven Hundred Thirty Thousand Dollars ($730,000.00). 113
(ix) Any county that has received eight (8) fire 114
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application 115
for * * * eight (8) fire trucks as follows: three (3) fire trucks 116
at not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck, 117
and * * * five (5) fire trucks at not more than Ninety Thousand 118
Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a total of not more than * * * 119
Six Hundred Sixty Thousand Dollars ($660,000.00). 120
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(x) Any county that has received nine (9) fire 121
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application 122
for * * * seven (7) fire trucks as follows: two (2) fire trucks 123
at not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck, 124
and * * * five (5) fire trucks at not more than Ninety Thousand 125
Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a total of not more than * * * 126
Five Hundred Ninety Thousand Dollars ($590,000.00). 127
(xi) Any county that has received ten (10) fire 128
trucks under this section is eligible to submit an application 129
for * * * six (6) fire trucks as follows: one (1) fire truck at 130
not more than Seventy Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) per truck, 131
and * * * five (5) fire trucks at not more than Ninety Thousand 132
Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck or a total of not more than * * * 133
Five Hundred Twenty Thousand Dollars ($520,000.00). 134
(xii) Any county that has received eleven (11) 135
fire trucks under this section is eligible to submit an 136
application for * * * five (5) fire trucks at not more than Ninety 137
Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) per truck. 138
(xiii) Any county may apply for * * * five (5) 139
fire trucks at not more than Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000.00) 140
per truck as provided in subparagraph (xii), provided that the 141
county agrees to forego any previous fire truck under 142
subparagraphs (i) through (xi) for which the county has not 143
previously applied, and that the county has received approval from 144
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the Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance Program Committee to 145
apply for and receive a truck under subparagraph (xii). 146
(b) The board of supervisors of the county shall submit 147
its request for the receipt of monies to the Department of 148
Insurance. A committee composed of the Commissioner of Insurance, 149
the State Fire Coordinator, the Director of the Rating Bureau and 150
the Director of the State Fire Academy shall review the requests 151
by the boards of supervisors and shall determine whether the 152
county or municipality for which the board of supervisors has 153
requested a truck meets the requirements of eligibility under this 154
chapter. 155
(c) To be eligible to receive monies under this 156
chapter: 157
(i) A county or municipality must pledge to set 158
aside or dedicate each year as matching funds, for a period not to 159
extend over ten (10) years, local funds in an amount equal to or 160
not less than one-tenth (1/10) of the amount of monies for which 161
it is requesting distribution from the Rural Fire Truck Fund, 162
which pledged monies may be derived from local ad valorem tax 163
authorized by law or from any other funds available to the county 164
or municipality, except for those funds received by municipalities 165
or counties from the Municipal Fire Protection Fund or the County 166
Volunteer Fire Department Fund, as defined in Sections 83-1-37 and 167
83-1-39. 168
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(ii) A municipality must provide adequate 169
documentation of its contract with the county that requires the 170
municipality to provide fire protection in rural areas. The term 171
"rural areas" means any area within the county located outside the 172
boundaries of an incorporated municipality or any incorporated 173
municipality with a population of two thousand five hundred 174
(2,500) or less. 175
(d) The Department of Insurance shall maintain an 176
accurate record of all monies distributed to counties and 177
municipalities and the number of fire trucks purchased and the 178
cost for each fire truck, such records to be kept separate from 179
other records of the Department of Insurance; notify counties and 180
municipalities of the Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance 181
Program and the requirements for them to become eligible to 182
participate; adopt and promulgate such rules and regulations as 183
may be necessary and desirable to implement the provisions of this 184
chapter; and file with the Legislature a report detailing how 185
monies made available under this chapter were distributed and 186
spent during the preceding portion of the fiscal year in each 187
county and municipality, the number of fire trucks purchased, the 188
counties and municipalities making such purchases, and the cost of 189
each fire truck purchased. 190
(4) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to 191
be designated as the "Rural Fire Truck Matching Assistance Fund," 192
which shall consist of funds appropriated by the Legislature from 193
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the State General Fund or any other special source fund. The 194
Department of Insurance shall use the funds for matching 195
assistance to counties and municipalities with remaining 196
eligibility in accordance with the provisions of subsection (5) of 197
this section. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end 198
of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and 199
any interest earned on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to 200
the credit of the fund. 201
(5) Subject to appropriation by the Legislature, the 202
Department of Insurance may provide funds to counties and 203
municipalities out of the Rural Fire Truck Matching Assistance 204
Fund in an amount exceeding the amount authorized in subsection 205
(3) of this section. However, the total amount of funds allowed 206
under this subsection combined with the funds provided in 207
subsection (3) of this section shall not exceed eighty percent 208
(80%) of the purchase price of the rural fire truck. A county or 209
municipality is eligible for such matching assistance upon meeting 210
the following criteria: 211
(a) The county or municipality's application is 212
approved for funding in accordance with the criteria in subsection 213
(3)(b) of this section; and 214
(b) The department determines that the county or 215
municipality does not have sufficient funds available for the 216
purchase of a rural fire truck with the funds authorized in 217
subsection (3)(b) of this section * * *. 218
H. B. No. 851 *HR43/R537* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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ST: Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance
Program; authorize an additional round for and
remove certain limiting language.
* * * 219
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 220
and after July 1, 2026. 221