By: King of Hemphill, Springer, Cyrier, Murr, H.B. No. 3070
      Kacal, et al.
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
 
  relating to grants for emergency assistance under the rural
  volunteer fire department assistance program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 614.102, Government Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (h) to read
  as follows:
         (a)  The Texas A&M Forest Service shall administer the
  program established under this subchapter, and the director may
  adopt rules necessary to assist volunteer fire departments in
  paying for equipment, including the replacement or repair of
  equipment, and training of personnel, including by providing
  emergency assistance under Section 614.103(a-1).
         (c)  The director shall:
               (1)  determine reasonable criteria and qualifications
  for the distribution of money from the volunteer fire department
  assistance fund, including:
                     (A)  the frequency, size, and severity of past
  wildfires in a volunteer fire department's jurisdiction; [and]
                     (B)  the potential for loss or damage to property
  resulting from future wildfires in the department's jurisdiction;
  and
                     (C)  the department's need for emergency
  assistance under Section 614.103(a-1); and
               (2)  establish a procedure for reporting and processing
  requests for money from the fund.
         (h)  Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, at
  least 10 percent of appropriations for a state fiscal year from the
  fund for the purpose of providing assistance to volunteer fire
  departments under the program is allocated for providing emergency
  assistance under Section 614.103(a-1). If the amount of assistance
  requested under Section 614.103(a-1) in a state fiscal year is less
  than the amount allocated under this subsection, the remaining
  amount may be used for other types of requests for assistance.
         SECTION 2.  Section 614.103, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  A volunteer fire department whose equipment is
  damaged or lost in responding to a declared state of disaster under
  Section 418.014 in an area subject to the declaration may submit a
  request for emergency assistance from the fund for:
               (1)  the replacement or repair of damaged or lost
  personal protective equipment or other firefighting equipment; and
               (2)  the purchase of a machine to clean personal
  protective equipment.
         SECTION 3.  As soon as practicable after the effective date
  of this Act, the director of the Texas A&M Forest Service shall
  adopt rules as necessary to implement Subchapter G, Chapter 614,
  Government Code, as amended by this Act.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.