HBA-JRA H.B. 2107 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2107 By: Cook Agriculture & Livestock 3/16/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, Texas has approximately 1,800 volunteer fire departments. Their primary source of support is community fund-raisers and donations. Those that receive funds from county government generally receive less than $5,000 per year. Volunteer fire departments respond to over 90 percent of the wildland fires in this state. Many departments operate with little or no reserve personnel, funds, or equipment. H.B. 2107 establishes the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, to be administered by the Texas Forest Service, to provide financial assistance to volunteer fire departments in paying for equipment and the training of personnel. This bill requires the imposition of a two percent fireworks tax on each retail sale of fireworks, to be placed in the rural volunteer fire department assistance fund and used only for funding this program. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the director of the Texas Forest Service of The Texas A&M University System in SECTION 1 (Section 614.072, Government Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 614, Government Code, by adding Subchapter F, as follows: SUBCHAPTER F. RURAL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Sec. 614.071. DEFINITIONS. Defines "director," "fund," "program," "service," and "volunteer fire department" in this subchapter. Sec. 614.072. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. (a) Requires the Texas Forest Service (service) to administer the volunteer fire department assistance program established under this chapter. Authorizes the director of the service (director) to adopt rules necessary to assist rural volunteer fire departments in paying for equipment and training of personnel. (b) Authorizes the service to employ staff to administer the program. (c) Requires the director, in consultation with the advisory committee, to determine reasonable criteria and qualifications for the distribution of money from the rural volunteer fire department assistance fund, and establish a procedure for reporting and processing requests for money from the fund. (d) Requires the director to prepare an annual written report on the activity, status, and effectiveness of the fund and to submit the report to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the Comptroller of Public Accounts (comptroller) by September 1 of each year. (e) Prohibits any assistance or benefits provided under this subchapter to a volunteer fire department or firefighter who is a member of such from being considered compensation and prohibits a firefighter receiving assistance under this subchapter from being considered to be in the paid service of any governing body. (f) Prohibits administration costs for a state fiscal year from exceeding seven percent of the total revenue collected from the fireworks tax established by this Act during the previous fiscal year. Sec. 614.073. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. Requires the director to appoint an advisory committee to advise the director in regard to the administration of the program. Sets forth the composition of the advisory committee. Sec. 614.074. REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE. Requires a request for assistance from the fund to be submitted to the director. Requires the director to determine whether to provide assistance and the amount of the assistance to be provided, if any, based on the criteria developed in consultation with the advisory committee. Requires a written copy of the decision to be sent to the requestor and each member of the advisory committee. Sec. 614.075. FUND. Provides that the rural volunteer fire department assistance fund is an account in the general revenue fund and is composed of money collected under the fireworks tax established by this Act and contributions to the fund from any other source. Authorizes money in the fund to be used only for a purpose under this subchapter. SECTION 2. Amends Subtitle E, Title 2, Tax Code, by adding Chapter 161, as follows: CHAPTER 161. FIREWORKS TAX Sec. 161.001. DEFINITION. Defines "fireworks" in this chapter. Sec. 161.002. FIREWORKS SALES TAX. Provides that a tax of two percent of the sale price is imposed on each sale at retail of fireworks. Provides that this tax is in addition to and is imposed only if the limited sales, excise, and use tax applies to the sale. Sec. 161.003. EXCEPTIONS TO APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. Sets forth the items to which are not subject to the fireworks tax. Sec. 161.004. APPLICATION OF OTHER PROVISIONS OF CODE. Provides that the fireworks tax is administered, imposed, collected, and enforced in the same manner as the limited sales, excise, and use tax and the provisions of Chapter 151 (Limited Sales, Excise, and Use Tax), Tax Code, that are applicable to the sales tax imposed under Subchapter C (Imposition and Collection of Sales Tax), Chapter 151, Tax Code, apply to the fireworks tax. Provides that a change in law relating to the taxation of the sale of fireworks under Chapter 151 also applies to the fireworks tax. Sec. 161.005 ALLOCATION OF TAX. Requires the comptroller to allocate the revenue from the fireworks tax, other than penalties and interest, to the rural volunteer fire department assistance fund. SECTION 3. (a) Provides that this Act takes effect July 1, 1999, if this Act receives the votes required by Section 39 (Time of Taking Effect of Laws; Emergencies; Entry on Journal), Article III, Texas Constitution, for an effective date before the 91st day after the last day of the legislative session. (b) Provides that this Act takes effect October 1, 1999, if this Act does not receive the votes required by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution, for an effective date before the 91st day after the last day of the legislative session. (c) Prohibits the director from granting a request for assistance under Subchapter F, Chapter 614, Government Code, as added by this Act, before September 1, 2000. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.