86R12243 JCG-D
 
  By: King of Hemphill H.B. No. 3070
 
 
 
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(c), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (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.
         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
  Chapter 418 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.  Subchapter G, Chapter 614, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 614.1055 to read as follows:
         Sec. 614.1055.  SEPARATE ACCOUNT FOR CERTAIN EMERGENCY
  ASSISTANCE. (a) The service shall maintain a separate account
  within the volunteer fire department assistance fund.
         (b)  The account shall contain money from any legislative
  appropriations for the purposes of Subsection (c).
         (c)  The money in the account may be used only to award grants
  in response to a request for emergency assistance under Section
  614.103(a-1).
         SECTION 4.  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 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.