This bill amends the Code of West Virginia to ensure that part-volunteer fire departments receive an equal share of funds from the fire and casualty premium tax. Specifically, it introduces new language that states each volunteer or part-volunteer fire company or department shall receive an equal share of the revenues allocated for these entities. Additionally, the bill removes the previous provision that included only volunteer fire companies and departments in the allocation process, thereby expanding eligibility to part-volunteer departments.

Furthermore, the bill outlines the distribution of funds collected from an additional premium tax imposed on fire and casualty insurance policies, which is intended to support municipal pension and relief funds, as well as the Teachers Retirement System Reserve Fund. It emphasizes the importance of equitable distribution among all eligible fire departments, ensuring that both full-time paid and part-volunteer departments are fairly compensated based on their respective contributions and membership. The bill also addresses past miscalculations in fund allocations and authorizes a specific transfer to rectify these discrepancies.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 33-3-14d