This bill amends the Code of West Virginia by adding a new section, 7-1-3uu, 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. This fund is designated exclusively for the benefit of volunteer firefighters serving in the county.

Additionally, the bill outlines that disbursements from the Volunteer Firefighter Service Fund will be made to eligible volunteer firefighters after they complete each 10 years of service. The county commission will have the authority to determine the amount of funds distributed for each service increment and may create tiered distribution schedules based on years of service. Importantly, the funds collected under this section are restricted to the purposes explicitly stated in the bill, ensuring they are used solely to support volunteer firefighters.

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