H. B. 4100


(By Delegates Love, Pettit and Thomas)
[Introduced January 17, 1996; referred to the
Committee on Government Organization then Finance.]




A BILL to amend and reenact section eight-b, article fifteen, chapter eight of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to volunteer fire companies; and permitting part volunteer or volunteer fire companies or departments receiving state funds or grants to use specified funds for payment of filing fees required by the legislative auditor's office in connection with sworn statements of annual expenditures.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section eight-b, article fifteen, chapter eight of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 15. FIRE FIGHTING; FIRE COMPANIES AND DEPARTMENTS; CIVIL SERVICE FOR PAID FIRE DEPARTMENTS.

§8-15-8b. Authorized expenditures of revenues from the municipal pensions and protection fund and the fire protection fund.
Revenues allocated to volunteer and part volunteer fire companies and departments may be expended only for the items listed in subdivisions (a) through (h) (i) of this section. Such expenditures may be made for the following:
(a) Personal protective equipment, including protective head gear, bunker coats, pants, boots, combination of bunker pants and boots, coats and gloves;
(b) Equipment for compliance with the national fire protection standard or automotive fire apparatus, NFPA-1901;
(c) Compliance with insurance service office recommendations relating to fire departments;
(d) Rescue equipment, communications equipment and ambulance equipment: Provided, That no moneys received from the municipal pensions and protection fund or the fire protection fund may be used for equipment for personal vehicles owned or operated by volunteer fire company or department members;
(e) Capital improvements reasonably required for effective and efficient fire protection service and maintenance thereof;
(f) Retirement of debts;
(g) Payment of utility bills; and
(h) Payment of the cost of immunizations, including any laboratory work incident thereto, for firefighters against hepatitis-b and other blood borne pathogens: Provided, That the vaccine shall be purchased through the state immunization program or from the lowest cost vendor available: Provided, however, That volunteer and part volunteer fire companies and departments shall seek to obtain no cost administration of the vaccinations through local boards of health: Provided further, That in the event any volunteer or part volunteer fire company or department is unable to obtain no cost administration of the vaccinations through a local board of health, the company or department shall seek to obtain the lowest cost available for the administration of the vaccinations from a licensed health care provider; and
(i) Any filing fee required to be paid to the legislative auditor's office under section fourteen, article four, chapter twelve of this code relating to sworn statements of annual expenditures submitted by volunteer or part volunteer fire companies or departments that receive state funds or grants.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to permit volunteer or part volunteer fire departments that receive state funds or grants to use specified state funds to pay filing fees to the Legislative Auditor's Office in connection with sworn statements of annual expenditures.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.