| TO: | Honorable Rick Hardcastle, Chair, House Committee on Agriculture & Livestock |
| FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB2918 by Christian (Relating to the administration of the rural volunteer fire department assistance program.), As Introduced |
The bill would require that the director of the Texas Forest Service, in determining the criteria for distribution of money from the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, ensure that preference is given to volunteer fire departments that have the smallest operating budgets of the volunteer fire departments that request assistance from the fund. The bill would take effect September 1, 2003 and apply only to distributions from the fund made on or after that date.
Including this consideration when making distribution decisions would not have a fiscal impact on the decision-making authority. Those volunteer fire departments that have the smallest operating budget of the departments requesting assistance would see a positive benefit that would vary based on the applicability of all criteria considered and the number of departments seeking assistance.
| Source Agencies: | 576 Texas Forest Service
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| LBB Staff: | JK, CL, DLBa
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