Senate Bill 1865, also known as House Bill 2531, amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, Chapter 102, to establish new grant programs aimed at supporting volunteer fire departments and rescue squads. The bill defines key terms such as "firefighting equipment," "rescue equipment," "rescue squad," and "volunteer fire department." It introduces two specific grant programs: one for volunteer firefighter equipment and training, which will provide annual grants to selected volunteer fire departments for purchasing firefighting equipment or meeting local match requirements for federal grants, and another for rescue squads to purchase firefighting and rescue equipment.

The bill stipulates that the total amount of grants awarded each year under the volunteer firefighter program must be equally divided among the three grand divisions of Tennessee. It expresses the legislative intent to fund these programs through a sum-sufficient appropriation in the annual budget and assigns the commissioner of commerce and insurance the responsibility of establishing guidelines for evaluating grant requests and disbursing funds. Additionally, any unspent funds from the grant programs will remain available for future expenditures rather than reverting to the general fund. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 68-102-154