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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session
REVISED
forestry and fire management; appropriation
Purpose
Establishes the Public Safety Grant Program (Grant Program) in the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) for cities, towns and fire districts and outlines Grant Program requirements. Appropriates $150 million from the state General Fund (state GF) in FY 2024 to DFFM for public safety grants.
Background
DFFM
DFFM, directed by the State Forester, must provide for land management
and the prevention and suppression of wildland fires on state land and on
private property in unincorporated areas. The State Forester must provide
necessary oversight to ensure standardized training and certification for all
firefighter classifications to be deployed to any incident (A.R.S. §§ 37-1301
and 37-1302).
The Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM), within DFFM, must:
1) promote public health and safety and reduce hazards to life, limb and
property; 2) perform inspections and fire investigations; 3) provide public
education; and 4) adopt fire protection codes (A.R.S.
§ 37-1381).
Fire Districts
Fire districts are special taxing districts and political subdivisions of Arizona that are created by county boards of supervisors (county BOS). Fire districts may: 1) employ personnel and provide services for fire protection, preservation of life and carrying out its powers and duties, including providing ambulance transportation services; 2) issue bonds to finance the acquisition of property and costs; and 3) enter into an agreement to procure the services of an organized private fire protection company or a fire department of, or contract to provide fire services to, a city or town (A.R.S. §§ 48-261 and 48-805).
Fire districts also receive funding through the county fire district
assistance tax (FDAT) and a fire district levy. The FDAT is levied on the
taxable property in a county and is capped at $0.10 per $100 assessed
valuation. The amount a fire district receives from the FDAT is 20 percent of
the fire district's adopted property tax levy, except that the amount is
reduced as prescribed in statute. A fire district's levy, based on the budget
that the fire district submits to the county BOS, is against all property in
the district and is capped at the lesser of: 1) for TY 2023, $3.50 per $100 of
assessed valuation and, for TY 2024 and thereafter, $3.75 per $100 of assessed
valuation; or
2) the amount of the levy in the preceding tax year multiplied by 1.08 (A.R.S.
§§ 48-805.02
and 48-807).
H.B. 2803 appropriates $150 million from the state GF in FY 2024 to DFFM.
Provisions
1. Appropriates $150 million from the state GF in FY 2024 to DFFM for public safety grants.
2. Exempts the appropriation to DFFM from lapsing.
3. Allows a city, town or fire district to apply to receive a public safety grant on an DFFM-prescribed form that includes:
a) the name and contact information of a contact person for the city, town or fire district;
b) a description of how the city, town or fire district will use the grant monies;
c) the average medical emergency service and law enforcement response time for the city's or town's fire department or the fire district; and
d) other information required by DFFM to award the grant monies.
4. Requires, if a city, town or fire district is applying for public safety grant monies to construct or renovate a fire station, the city, town or fire district to demonstrate to DFFM that the city, town or fire district can pay for the fire station's ongoing operating costs for at least 25 years after constructing or renovating the fire station.
5. Allows a city, town or fire district to use public safety grant monies to:
a) purchase capital equipment necessary to respond to public safety emergencies, including fire engines, ambulances, radio telecommunications, uniforms and equipment;
b) construct or renovate fire stations; and
c) purchase and provide emergency alert services that are available through a mobile application or other means.
6. Requires DFFM to:
a) develop an emergency medical service and law enforcement response time goal for urban and rural areas based on data from across Arizona and industry best practices;
b) award grant monies each fiscal year as follows:
i. 75 percent of the monies must be awarded to cities, towns or fire districts serving urban areas;
ii. 25 percent of the monies must be distributed to cities, towns or fire districts serving rural areas; and
iii. based on the need of the city, town or fire district and the average emergency medical service and law enforcement response times of the city's or town's fire department or the fire district; and
c) adopt rules and prescribe forms as necessary to the implement the Grant Program.
7. Allows DFFM to retain up to 5 percent of the appropriated monies to administer the Grant Program.
8. Requires, before awarding any public safety grants, DFFM to prepare an expenditure plan for the monies.
9. Requires DFFM to submit the expenditure plan to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) for review.
10. Requires, after JLBC reviews the expenditure plan, DFFM to award the public safety grant monies as prescribed.
11. Requires DFFM to submit quarterly reports to JLBC on the amount of public safety grant monies awarded and the city, town or fire district expenditures made using the awarded grant monies.
12. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Revisions
· Corrects the background to reflect the current fire district levy cap.
House Action
LARA 2/16/23 DPA 9-0-0-0
APPROP 2/20/23 DPA 15-0-0-0
3rd Read 3/8/23 52-6-2
Prepared by Senate Research
March 29, 2023
RA/FB/slp