This bill proposes several updates to current statutes regarding the funding of municipal fire departments. It introduces a new section, 9-500.52, which prohibits cities or towns from reducing their fire department's annual operating budget below the previous year's amount. If a reduction occurs, the city or town must notify the state treasurer, who will withhold state shared funds equivalent to the budget reduction until the budget is restored. However, this requirement does not apply if the city or town lacks the necessary funds to maintain the previous year's budget.

Additionally, the bill clarifies the definition of "fire department" as a municipal fire department and modifies existing statutes to incorporate these changes. It also ensures that the state treasurer will not withhold funds necessary for debt service on obligations incurred before any budget reduction. Overall, the bill aims to protect fire department funding and ensure accountability in budget management at the municipal level.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 9-500.52, 42-5029, 43-206, 35-146, 35-147, 42-1116, 42-5014, 42-5070, 42-5010, 42-5155, 42-5010.01, 42-5061, 42-5164, 42-5205, 42-1118, 42-1254, 42-5030, 42-5030.01, 42-5031, 42-5032, 42-5032.01, 42-5032.02, 49-282, 17-273, 15-2084, 15-1648, 15-1472, 42-5031.01, 15-971, 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 15-154, 15-154.01, 15-241, 43-1072.01, 15-977, 41-2257, 41-2258, 42-5033, 42-5033.01, 42-6010, 9-626, 41-194.01, 15-1402, 15-1403, 15-1409