HB 2531

Present law establishes the volunteer firefighter equipment and training grant program to provide annual grants to select volunteer fire departments. Grant funds must be used for the purchase of firefighting equipment or to meet local match requirements of federal grants for the purchase of firefighting equipment and training. As used in such program, a "volunteer fire department"" means a fire department recognized by the state fire marshal's office and classified by the Tennessee Fire Incident Reportin g System (TFIRS) as a volunteer fire department. This bill removes the requirement that the fire department by classified by TFIRS as a volunteer fire department. RESCUE SQUAD GRANT PROGRAM This bill establishes the rescue squad grant program to provide annual grants to select rescue squads. Grant funds must be used for the purchase of firefighting equipment and rescue equipment but not vehicles. As used in such program, a ""rescue squad"" means a department of a municipality, county, or political subdivision, or a nonprofit organization that offers its services, for or without pay, for the purposes of performing rescue services or other emergency response. ADMINISTRATION AND RULEMAKING Present law requires the commissioner of commerce and insurance (""commissioner"") to promulgate rules to establish guidelines for evaluating grant requests and determining grant recipients. The commissioner must decide which grants to award and disburse the grants to the selected volunteer fire departments. Further, the commissioner must equally divide the grants awarded each year among the three grand divisions of this state. This bill requires the commissioner to promulgate rules to establish guidelines for evaluating grant requests and determining which volunteer fire departments or rescue squads will receive grants. The commissioner must decide which grants to award and t hen disburse the grants to the selected departments and squads. This bill clarifies that the requirement to equally divide the total amount of grants among the three grand divisions of this state applies specifically to the volunteer firefighter equipmen t and training grant program and does not apply to the rescue squad grant program. FUNDING AND REVERSION Present law provides that any funds remaining in the program at the end of a fiscal year do not revert to the general fund but remain available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years. This bill requires the commissioner to endeavor to expend all fun ds appropriated to the grant programs each year. ON MARCH 16, 2026, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 1865 FOR HOUSE BILL 2531, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1865, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 clarifies that the department of commerce and insurance must endeavor to distribute funding for the grant established in the volunteer firefighter equipment and training program proportionally based on the number of recognized volunteer fire departments serving each of the three grand divisions of the state."