Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 102.

This bill creates a program, known as the volunteer firefighter equipment and training grant program, to annually provide grants to select volunteer fire departments to 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. This bill states the legislative intent to fund the program by providing a sum-sufficient appropriation in each fiscal year's annual appropriation bill. <br /> <br /> This bill requires the commissioner of commerce and insurance to:<br /> <br /> (1) Promulgate rules to establish guidelines for evaluating grant requests and determining which volunteer fire departments will receive grants, and to divide the state by county into east, middle, west, northeast, and southwest divisions;<br /> (2) Decide which grants to award and disburse the grants to the selected volunteer fire departments. The total amount of grants awarded each year must be equally divided among the divisions created by rule; and<br /> (3) Endeavor to expend all funds appropriated to the program each year. This bill specifies that any funds remaining will not revert to the general fund but remain available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years.<br /> <br /> For rulemaking purposes, this bill will take effect upon becoming a law. For all other purposes, this bill will take effect January 1, 2020.<br /> <br /> ON MAY 1, 2019, THE SENATE SUBSTITUTED HOUSE BILL 518 FOR SENATE BILL 1395, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 518, AS AMENDED.<br /> <br /> AMENDMENT #1 requires that the grants authorized by this bill be divided equally among the state's three grand divisions instead of requiring the commissioner of commerce and insurance to promulgate a rule dividing the state into four regions for purposes of equitably distributing the grants.<br /> <br />