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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to grants for emergency assistance under the rural |
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volunteer fire department assistance program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 614.102, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (h) to read |
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as follows: |
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(a) The Texas A&M Forest Service shall administer the |
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program established under this subchapter, and the director may |
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adopt rules necessary to assist volunteer fire departments in |
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paying for equipment, including the replacement or repair of |
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equipment, and training of personnel, including by providing |
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emergency assistance under Section 614.103(a-1). |
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(c) The director shall: |
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(1) determine reasonable criteria and qualifications |
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for the distribution of money from the volunteer fire department |
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assistance fund, including: |
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(A) the frequency, size, and severity of past |
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wildfires in a volunteer fire department's jurisdiction; [and] |
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(B) the potential for loss or damage to property |
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resulting from future wildfires in the department's jurisdiction; |
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and |
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(C) the department's need for emergency |
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assistance under Section 614.103(a-1); and |
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(2) establish a procedure for reporting and processing |
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requests for money from the fund. |
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(h) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, at |
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least 10 percent of appropriations for a state fiscal year from the |
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fund for the purpose of providing assistance to volunteer fire |
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departments under the program is allocated for providing emergency |
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assistance under Section 614.103(a-1). If the amount of assistance |
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requested under Section 614.103(a-1) in a state fiscal year is less |
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than the amount allocated under this subsection, the remaining |
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amount may be used for other types of requests for assistance. |
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SECTION 2. Section 614.103, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
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(a-1) A volunteer fire department whose equipment is |
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damaged or lost in responding to a declared state of disaster under |
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Section 418.014 in an area subject to the declaration may submit a |
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request for emergency assistance from the fund for: |
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(1) the replacement or repair of damaged or lost |
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personal protective equipment or other firefighting equipment; and |
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(2) the purchase of a machine to clean personal |
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protective equipment. |
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SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the director of the Texas A&M Forest Service shall |
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adopt rules as necessary to implement Subchapter G, Chapter 614, |
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Government Code, as amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |