Senate Bill S10096

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10096
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 28, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. HINCHEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation  to  the  volunteer  fire
   infrastructure and response equipment (V-FIRE) grant program
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section  157-a
 to read as follows:
   § 157-A. VOLUNTEER FIRE INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESPONSE EQUIPMENT (V-FIRE)
 GRANT  PROGRAM. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE OFFICE OF FIRE
 PREVENTION AND CONTROL, THE VOLUNTEER FIRE INFRASTRUCTURE  AND  RESPONSE
 EQUIPMENT  (V-FIRE)  GRANT  PROGRAM. THE GRANT PROGRAM SHALL BE ADMINIS-
 TERED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMER-
 GENCY SERVICES FOR THE PURPOSE OF AWARDING  CAPITAL  GRANTS  TO  SUPPORT
 PROJECTS  WHICH  SUSTAIN  OR  ENHANCE FIRE PREVENTION AND RESPONSE OPER-
 ATIONS, AND FIRE PREVENTION AND  RESPONSE  SERVICES  INFRASTRUCTURE  AND
 EQUIPMENT,  INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BUILDINGS, TRAINING FACILITIES,
 TECHNOLOGY AND VEHICLES.
   2. GRANTS SHALL BE AWARDED EACH GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE ON  A  COMPET-
 ITIVE  BASIS  THROUGH  AN  APPLICATION  PROCESS. THE COMMISSIONER OF THE
 DIVISION OF HOMELAND  SECURITY  AND  EMERGENCY  SERVICES  SHALL  PROVIDE
 UPDATED  INFORMATION  REGARDING  THE  GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE, AVAILABLE
 FUNDING, AND ADDITIONAL GRANT INFORMATION DEEMED RELEVANT BY THE COMMIS-
 SIONER PRIOR TO EACH GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE.
   3. ELIGIBLE ENTITIES THAT ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE STATE AND WHICH SERVE
 ONE OR MORE MUNICIPALITIES IN THE STATE MAY APPLY FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM.
   4. EACH GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE SHALL PROVIDE GRANTS TO:
   (A) ELIGIBLE FACILITY PROJECTS; AND
   (B) ELIGIBLE EQUIPMENT PROJECTS.
   5. THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY
 SERVICES SHALL PUBLISH A REPORT ON THE GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE NO  LATER
 THAN THE THIRTIETH DAY AFTER SUCH GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE HAS ENDED. THE
 REPORT SHALL BE PUBLISHED ON THE AGENCY'S WEBSITE AND SHALL INCLUDE, BUT
 NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD15699-01-6
 S. 10096                            2
 
   (A) THE TOTAL AVAILABLE FUNDING FOR THE GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE;
   (B)  THE TOTAL NUMBER OF APPLICANTS WHO APPLIED FOR A GRANT DURING THE
 GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE AND, FOR EACH APPLICANT:
   (I) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ACTIVE FIREFIGHTERS AND INACTIVE  FIREFIGHTERS
 IN EACH FIRE DEPARTMENT; AND
   (II) THE TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED PER PROJECT TYPE, PER COUNTY; AND
   (C) A LIST OF ALL AWARDEES WHICH SHALL INCLUDE:
   (I)  EACH  FIRE DEPARTMENT, MUNICIPALITY AND COUNTY SERVED BY AWARDEE;
 AND
   (II) THE TOTAL AMOUNT AWARDED PER PROJECT TYPE AND PER COUNTY.
   6. THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY
 SERVICES SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO  PROMULGATE  RULES  AND  REGULATIONS  TO
 CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION. SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS MAY
 BE  INCLUDED  IN  THE  GRANT  APPLICATION  AND PUBLISHED ON THE AGENCY'S
 WEBSITE.
   7. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING  TERMS  SHALL  HAVE
 THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "AVAILABLE FUNDING" SHALL MEAN THE TOTAL APPROPRIATION MADE TO THE
 VOLUNTEER  FIRE  INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESPONSE EQUIPMENT GRANT PROGRAM AND
 SHALL INCLUDE THE TOTAL AVAILABLE FUNDING THAT WILL BE  AWARDED  IN  THE
 GRANT  APPLICATION  CYCLE FOR EACH TYPE OF GRANT PROJECT AND THE MAXIMUM
 AWARD FOR EACH GRANT PROJECT AND EACH GRANTEE.
   (B) "ELIGIBLE EQUIPMENT PROJECT" SHALL MEAN A PROJECT TO  SUPPORT  THE
 REPAIR,  ENHANCEMENT  AND INSTALLATION OF EQUIPMENT USED TO SUPPORT FIRE
 PREVENTION AND RESPONSE OPERATIONS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED  TO  VEHI-
 CLES,  FIREFIGHTER  REHABILITATION  EQUIPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
 AND OTHER SAFETY EQUIPMENT.
   (C) "ELIGIBLE ENTITY" SHALL INCLUDE:
   (I) A FIRE DEPARTMENT;
   (II) A MUNICIPALITY;
   (III) A COUNTY, PROVIDED THAT SUCH COUNTY IS APPLYING ON BEHALF  OF  A
 MUNICIPALITY  OR A FIRE DEPARTMENT AND PROVIDED FURTHER THAT SUCH COUNTY
 HAS DOCUMENTED APPROVAL FROM THE FIRE  DEPARTMENT  OR  FIRE  DEPARTMENTS
 WITHIN THE COUNTY THAT WILL DIRECTLY BENEFIT FROM THE REQUESTED PROJECTS
 AND  THAT ANY ADDITIONAL PRE-QUALIFICATIONS AND SUBMISSION OF ADDITIONAL
 DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED  FOR  THE  GRANT  APPLICATION  ARE  INCLUDED  AND
 SUBMITTED WITH SUCH APPLICATION; AND
   (IV)  TWO  OR  MORE  MUNICIPALITIES APPLYING FOR A SHARED PROJECT THAT
 WILL BENEFIT AND BE ACCESSIBLE TO TWO OR MORE FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
   (D) "ELIGIBLE FACILITY PROJECT" SHALL MEAN A PROJECT FOR THE  ACQUISI-
 TION,  CONSTRUCTION,  RENOVATION,  REHABILITATION AND LEASEHOLD IMPROVE-
 MENTS OF BUILDINGS OWNED  OR  UTILIZED  BY  A  FIRE  DEPARTMENT  IN  THE
 PROVISION  OF  SERVICES  TO THE COMMUNITY SERVED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT,
 INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, TRAINING  FACILITIES  AND  INFRASTRUCTURE
 IMPROVEMENTS  TO  SUCH  BUILDINGS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION,
 ELECTRICAL UPGRADES TO A FACILITY MAY BE  DEEMED  TO  BE  INFRASTRUCTURE
 IMPROVEMENTS.
   (E)  "FIRE  DEPARTMENT"  SHALL  MEAN A FIRE DEPARTMENT OR FIRE COMPANY
 THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING FIRE PROTECTION  SERVICES  TO  ONE  OR
 MORE  MUNICIPALITIES  IN  THE  STATE  AND  THAT  CONSISTS OF ONE HUNDRED
 PERCENT  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTER  MEMBERSHIP.  "FIRE  DEPARTMENT"   SHALL
 INCLUDE  NONPROFIT  FIRE  COMPANIES  WHICH  MAY BE SUBJECT TO ADDITIONAL
 PRE-QUALIFICATIONS  OR  SUBMISSION  OF  ADDITIONAL   DOCUMENTATION,   AS
 REQUIRED  BY  THE  COMMISSIONER OF THE DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND
 EMERGENCY SERVICES FOR THE GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE.
 S. 10096                            3
 
   (F) "GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE" SHALL MEAN THE PERIOD OF TIME DETERMINED
 BY THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY  AND  EMERGENCY
 SERVICES  THAT BEGINS ON THE FIRST DAY AN APPLICANT CAN SUBMIT AN APPLI-
 CATION AND ENDS NO LATER THAN THE SIXTIETH DAY  AFTER  GRANT  APPLICANTS
 ARE NOTIFIED OF AWARD DECISIONS.
   (G)  "MUNICIPALITY"  SHALL MEAN A VILLAGE, TOWN, CITY OR FIRE DISTRICT
 RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING FIRE PROTECTION THROUGH A FIRE  DEPARTMENT  AS
 DEFINED IN THIS SECTION.
   §  2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary
 for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.