§ 99-Q — Volunteer firefighting and volunteer emergency services recruitment and retention fund

§ 99-q. Volunteer firefighting and volunteer emergency services\nrecruitment and retention fund. 1. There is hereby established in the\njoint custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance and the\ncomptroller, a special fund to be known as the "volunteer firefighting\nand volunteer emergency services recruitment and retention fund".\n 2. Such fund shall consist of all revenues received by the department\nof taxation and finance, pursuant to the provisions of sections two\nhundred nine-G and six hundred thirty-b of the tax law and all other\nmoneys appropriated, credited, or transferred thereto from any other\nfund or source pursuant to law. Nothing contained in this section shall\nprevent the state from receiving grants, gifts or bequests for the\npurposes of the fund as defined in this section and depositing them into\nthe fund according to law. Any interest received by the comptroller on\nmoneys on deposit in such fund shall be retained in and become part of\nsuch fund.\n 2-a. On or before the first day of February each year, the state fire\nadministrator shall provide a written report to the temporary president\nof the senate, speaker of the assembly, chair of the senate finance\ncommittee, chair of the assembly ways and means committee, chair of the\nsenate committee on local government, chair of the assembly local\ngovernment committee, the state comptroller and the public. Such report\nshall include how the monies of the fund were utilized during the\npreceding calendar year, and shall include:\n (i) the amount of money dispersed from the fund and the award process\nused for such disbursements;\n (ii) recipients of awards from the fund;\n (iii) the amount awarded to each;\n (iv) the purposes for which such awards were granted; and\n (v) a summary financial plan for such monies which shall include\nestimates of all receipts and all disbursements for the current and\nsucceeding fiscal years, along with the actual results from the prior\nfiscal year.\n 3. Moneys in such fund shall be expended only to provide grants to\nvolunteer firefighting and volunteer emergency services organizations\nand to statewide organizations which represent the interests of\nvolunteer firefighters and/or volunteer emergency services providers for\nthe purpose of encouraging the recruitment and retention of volunteer\nfirefighters and volunteer emergency services personnel. Such purposes\nmay include, but need not be limited to: development and implementation\nof marketing plans, publicity campaigns, and community awareness\ninitiatives; design, production and distribution of promotional\nmerchandise, brochures and other materials; sponsorship of local\ncommunity events designed to help recruit volunteers; newspaper\npublications, promotional mailings and other advertising designed to\nhelp recruit volunteers.\n 4. Monies shall be payable from the fund on the audit and warrant of\nthe comptroller on vouchers approved and certified by the state fire\nadministrator.\n 5. To the extent practicable, the state fire administrator shall\nensure that all monies received during a fiscal year are expended prior\nto the end of that fiscal year.\n