The proposed legislation establishes a Firefighting Training Facility Grant Program aimed at funding capital construction, maintenance, repair projects, and equipment purchases for local government firefighting authorities. The bill includes a requirement for matching funds on a one-to-one basis, meaning that for every dollar granted, the recipient must provide an equivalent amount in funding. The program will be administered by the Department of Military Affairs, which will oversee a dedicated infrastructure account funded by a $5 million appropriation. This funding will be available for grants to local firefighting authorities, with a maximum of $500,000 allocated per county and a cap of $250,000 for individual projects.
Additionally, the bill outlines the eligibility criteria for grant applications, the conditions for disbursement of funds, and the administrative costs associated with managing the program. It specifies that the state treasurer will transfer $5 million from the capital developments long-range building program account to the firefighting training facility infrastructure account by July 1, 2025. The appropriations are authorized to continue through the biennium beginning July 1, 2029, with the act set to take effect on June 30, 2025, and terminating on June 30, 2031.