Senate Bill S9347

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9347
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 4, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. MARTINEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
 
 AN ACT to amend the general municipal  law,  in  relation  to  providing
   public input on local fire protection in New York state
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The general municipal  law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 section 777-a to read as follows:
   §  777-A. REFERENDUM RESOLUTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF FIRE DISTRICTS.  1.
 IF A DISSOLUTION PLAN CALLS FOR THE DISSOLUTION OF A FIRE DISTRICT, THEN
 CONTEMPORANEOUS WITH THE FINAL APPROVAL OF THE DISSOLUTION PLAN PURSUANT
 TO SUBDIVISION THREE OF SECTION SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY-SIX OF THIS TITLE,
 THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE FIRE DISTRICT SHALL ENACT A RESOLUTION CALLING
 FOR A REFERENDUM ON THE PROPOSED DISSOLUTION BY THE ELECTORS IN THE FIRE
 DISTRICT.
   2. THE RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE REFERENDUM ON THE  PROPOSED  DISSOL-
 UTION SHALL:
   (A)  PROVIDE:  (I)  THE NAME OF THE FIRE DISTRICT TO BE DISSOLVED; AND
 (II) THE DATE FOR THE REFERENDUM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION ONE  OF
 SECTION SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY OF THIS TITLE;
   (B)  STATE  THE SUBSTANCE OF THE QUESTION TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE ELEC-
 TORS; AND
   (C) SET FORTH SUCH OTHER MATTERS AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO CALL,  PROVIDE
 FOR  AND  GIVE  NOTICE  OF THE REFERENDUM AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE CONDUCT
 THEREOF AND THE CANVASS OF THE RETURNS THEREUPON.
   3. THE RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE REFERENDUM ON THE  PROPOSED  DISSOL-
 UTION  SHALL  HAVE  ATTACHED  TO  IT  THE  FINAL APPROVED VERSION OF THE
 DISSOLUTION PLAN.
   4. A FIRE DISTRICT DISSOLVED PURSUANT  TO  A  DISSOLUTION  PLAN  SHALL
 CONTINUE  TO  BE GOVERNED AS BEFORE DISSOLUTION UNTIL THE EFFECTIVE DATE
 OF THE DISSOLUTION SPECIFIED IN THE DISSOLUTION PLAN; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
 THAT NO DISSOLUTION PLAN FOR A FIRE DISTRICT SHALL  TAKE  EFFECT  UNLESS
 APPROVED  BY A MAJORITY OF ELECTORS OF THE FIRE DISTRICT AT A REFERENDUM
 CALLED THROUGH A RESOLUTION.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD15084-01-6
 S. 9347                             2
 
   5. A REFERENDUM ON A PROPOSED DISSOLUTION OF A FIRE DISTRICT SHALL  BE
 PLACED  BEFORE  THE  ELECTORS  IN THE FIRE DISTRICT TO BE DISSOLVED AT A
 SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD NOT LESS THAN SIXTY OR MORE THAN NINETY DAYS
 AFTER  THE  ENACTMENT  OF  A  RESOLUTION  CALLING  FOR  THE  REFERENDUM,
 PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  THAT  IN  CASES WHERE A TOWN GENERAL ELECTION FALLS
 WITHIN SUCH PERIOD, THE REFERENDUM QUESTION MAY BE CONSIDERED  DURING  A
 TOWN GENERAL ELECTION.
   6. NOTICE OF THE REFERENDUM SHALL BE GIVEN TO THE ELECTORS OF THE FIRE
 DISTRICT  TO BE DISSOLVED BY PUBLICATION IN A NEWSPAPER HAVING A GENERAL
 CIRCULATION WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE ENTITY AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK FOR
 FOUR CONSECUTIVE WEEKS IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE REFERENDUM.  THE  NOTICE
 SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (A)  A  SUMMARY OF THE CONTENTS OF THE RESOLUTION AND DISSOLUTION PLAN
 OR PETITION FOR DISSOLUTION, AS THE CASE MAY BE;
   (B) A STATEMENT AS TO WHERE MAY BE EXAMINED COPIES OF  THE  RESOLUTION
 AND DISSOLUTION PLAN OR PETITION FOR DISSOLUTION, AS THE CASE MAY BE;
   (C)  THE  NAME  OF  THE  FIRE DISTRICT TO BE DISSOLVED AND A STATEMENT
 FULLY DESCRIBING ITS TERRITORY;
   (D) THE TIME AND PLACE OR PLACES AT WHICH THE REFERENDUM WILL BE HELD;
 AND
   (E) SUCH OTHER MATTERS AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO CALL,  PROVIDE  FOR  AND
 GIVE NOTICE OF THE REFERENDUM AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE CONDUCT THEREOF AND
 THE CANVASS OF THE RETURNS THEREUPON.
   7.  THE  REFERENDUM  QUESTION  PLACED  BEFORE THE ELECTORS OF THE FIRE
 DISTRICT TO BE DISSOLVED SHALL BE IN A  FORM  READING  SUBSTANTIALLY  AS
 FOLLOWS:
   "SHALL (INSERT TYPE AND NAME OF FIRE DISTRICT) BE DISSOLVED?
   YES ____
   NO ____"
   8. IN ANY REFERENDUM HELD PURSUANT TO THIS TITLE, THE FIRE DISTRICT TO
 BE  DISSOLVED  SHALL  BEAR THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONDUCT OF SUCH
 REFERENDUM.
   9. IN ANY REFERENDUM HELD PURSUANT TO THIS TITLE, AND EXCEPT AS OTHER-
 WISE SPECIFIED HEREIN, THE REFERENDUM SHALL BE  CONDUCTED  IN  THE  SAME
 MANNER AS OTHER MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS OR REFERENDUMS FOR THE LOCAL GOVERN-
 MENT ENTITY AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED DISSOLUTION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.