This bill proposes the addition of a new section, 7-1-3uu, to the Code of West Virginia, which grants county commissions the authority to establish and impose voluntary firefighter service fees on residents. The fees are intended to support volunteer fire departments within the county and are not mandatory. The county commission will have discretion over the imposition and collection of these fees, and all proceeds will be deposited into a newly created Volunteer Firefighter Service Fund.

The bill outlines that the funds collected will be used exclusively for the benefit of volunteer firefighters, with disbursements made to eligible firefighters after completing each 10 years of service. The county commission will also have the authority to determine the amount of funds distributed for each service period and may create tiered distribution schedules based on years of service. Additionally, the bill specifies that the funds collected can only be used for the purposes explicitly stated in the new section.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 7-1-3uu