1 | 1 | | |
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2 | 2 | | FIRST REGULAR SESSION |
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3 | 3 | | SENATE BILL NO. 602 |
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4 | 4 | | 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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5 | 5 | | INTRODUCED BY SENATOR GREGORY (21). |
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6 | 6 | | 2318S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary |
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7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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8 | 8 | | To repeal section 321.220, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to fire |
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9 | 9 | | protection districts, with penalty provisions. |
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10 | 10 | | |
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11 | 11 | | Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows: |
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12 | 12 | | Section A. Section 321.220, RSMo, is repealed and one new 1 |
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13 | 13 | | section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 321.220, 2 |
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14 | 14 | | to read as follows:3 |
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15 | 15 | | 321.220. For the purpose of providing fire protection 1 |
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16 | 16 | | to the property within the district, the district and, on 2 |
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17 | 17 | | its behalf, the board shall have the following powers, 3 |
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18 | 18 | | authority and privileges: 4 |
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19 | 19 | | (1) To have perpetual existence; 5 |
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20 | 20 | | (2) To have and use a corporate seal; 6 |
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21 | 21 | | (3) To sue and be sued, and be a party to suits, 7 |
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22 | 22 | | actions and proceedings; 8 |
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23 | 23 | | (4) To enter into contracts, franchises and agreements 9 |
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24 | 24 | | with any person, partnership, association or corporation, 10 |
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25 | 25 | | public or private, affecting the affairs of the district, 11 |
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26 | 26 | | including contracts with any municipality, district or 12 |
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27 | 27 | | state, or the United States of America, and any of their 13 |
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28 | 28 | | agencies, political subdivisions or instrumentalities, for 14 |
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29 | 29 | | the planning, development, construction, acquisition or 15 |
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30 | 30 | | operation of any public improvement or facility, or for a 16 |
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31 | 31 | | common service relating to the control or prevention of 17 |
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32 | 32 | | fires, including the installation, operation and maintenance 18 SB 602 2 |
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33 | 33 | | of water supply distribution, fire hydrant and fire alarm 19 |
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34 | 34 | | systems; provided, that a notice shall be published for bids 20 |
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35 | 35 | | on all construction or purchase contracts for work or 21 |
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36 | 36 | | material or both, outsi de the authority contained in 22 |
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37 | 37 | | subdivision (9) of this section, involving an expense of ten 23 |
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38 | 38 | | thousand dollars or more; 24 |
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39 | 39 | | (5) Upon approval of the voters as herein provided, to 25 |
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40 | 40 | | borrow money and incur indebtedness and evidence the same by 26 |
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41 | 41 | | certificates, notes or debentures, and to issue bonds, in 27 |
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42 | 42 | | accordance with the provisions of this chapter; 28 |
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43 | 43 | | (6) To acquire, construct, purchase, maintain, dispose 29 |
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44 | 44 | | of and encumber real and personal property, fire stations, 30 |
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45 | 45 | | fire protection and fire -fighting apparatus and auxiliary 31 |
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46 | 46 | | equipment therefor, and any interest therein, including 32 |
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47 | 47 | | leases and easements; 33 |
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48 | 48 | | (7) To refund any bonded indebtedness of the district 34 |
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49 | 49 | | without an election. The terms and conditions of refunding 35 |
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50 | 50 | | bonds shall be substantially the sam e as those of the 36 |
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51 | 51 | | original issue of bonds, and the board shall provide for the 37 |
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52 | 52 | | payment of interest, at not to exceed the legal rate, and 38 |
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53 | 53 | | the principal of such refunding bonds in the same manner as 39 |
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54 | 54 | | is provided for the payment of interest and principal o f 40 |
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55 | 55 | | bonds refunded; 41 |
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56 | 56 | | (8) To have the management, control and supervision of 42 |
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57 | 57 | | all the business and affairs of the district, and the 43 |
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58 | 58 | | construction, installation, operation and maintenance of 44 |
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59 | 59 | | district improvements therein; 45 |
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60 | 60 | | (9) To hire and retain ag ents, employees, engineers 46 |
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61 | 61 | | and attorneys, including part -time or volunteer firemen; 47 |
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62 | 62 | | (10) To have and exercise the power of eminent domain 48 |
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63 | 63 | | and in the manner provided by law for the condemnation of 49 |
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64 | 64 | | private property for public use to take any propert y within 50 SB 602 3 |
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65 | 65 | | the district necessary to the exercise of the powers herein 51 |
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66 | 66 | | granted; 52 |
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67 | 67 | | (11) To receive and accept by bequest, gift or 53 |
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68 | 68 | | donation any kind of property. Notwithstanding any other 54 |
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69 | 69 | | provision of law to the contrary, any property received by 55 |
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70 | 70 | | the fire protection district as a gift or any property 56 |
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71 | 71 | | purchased by the fire protection district at a price below 57 |
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72 | 72 | | the actual market value of the property may be returned to 58 |
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73 | 73 | | the donor or resold to the seller if such property is not 59 |
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74 | 74 | | used for the specific pu rpose for which it was acquired; 60 |
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75 | 75 | | (12) (a) To adopt and amend bylaws, fire protection 61 |
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76 | 76 | | and fire prevention ordinances, and any other rules and 62 |
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77 | 77 | | regulations not in conflict with the constitution and laws 63 |
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78 | 78 | | of this state, necessary for the carrying on o f the 64 |
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79 | 79 | | business, objects and affairs of the board and of the 65 |
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80 | 80 | | district, and refer to the proper authorities for 66 |
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81 | 81 | | prosecution any infraction thereof detrimental to the 67 |
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82 | 82 | | district. Any person violating any such ordinance is hereby 68 |
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83 | 83 | | declared to be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction 69 |
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84 | 84 | | thereof shall be punished as is provided by law therefor. 70 |
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85 | 85 | | The prosecuting attorney for the county in which the 71 |
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86 | 86 | | violation occurs shall prosecute such violations in the 72 |
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87 | 87 | | circuit court of that county. The legal officer or attorney 73 |
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88 | 88 | | for the fire district may be appointed by the prosecuting 74 |
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89 | 89 | | attorney as special assistant prosecuting attorney for the 75 |
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90 | 90 | | prosecution of any such violation. The enactments of the 76 |
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91 | 91 | | fire district in delegating administrative authority to 77 |
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92 | 92 | | officials of the district may provide standards of action 78 |
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93 | 93 | | for the administrative officials, which standards are 79 |
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94 | 94 | | declared as industrial codes adopted by nationally organized 80 |
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95 | 95 | | and recognized trade bodies. The board shall have the power 81 |
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96 | 96 | | to adopt an ordinance, rule , or regulation allowing the 82 SB 602 4 |
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97 | 97 | | district to charge individuals who reside outside of the 83 |
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98 | 98 | | district, but who receive emergency services within the 84 |
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99 | 99 | | boundaries of the district, for the actual and reasonable 85 |
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100 | 100 | | cost of such services. However, such actual and rea sonable 86 |
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101 | 101 | | costs shall not exceed one hundred dollars for responding to 87 |
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102 | 102 | | each fire call or alarm and two hundred fifty dollars for 88 |
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103 | 103 | | each hour or a proportional sum for each quarter hour spent 89 |
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104 | 104 | | in combating a fire or emergency ; 90 |
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105 | 105 | | (b) Notwithstanding parag raph (a) of this subdivision, 91 |
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106 | 106 | | fire protection and fire prevention ordinances shall not be 92 |
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107 | 107 | | exercised so as to impose regulations or require permits 93 |
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108 | 108 | | with respect to the erection, maintenance, repair, 94 |
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109 | 109 | | alteration, or extension of farm buildings or farm 95 |
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110 | 110 | | structures; 96 |
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111 | 111 | | (13) To pay all court costs and expenses connected 97 |
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112 | 112 | | with the first election or any subsequent election in the 98 |
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113 | 113 | | district; 99 |
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114 | 114 | | (14) To have and exercise all rights and powers 100 |
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115 | 115 | | necessary or incidental to or implied from the specific 101 |
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116 | 116 | | powers granted herein. Such specific powers shall not be 102 |
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117 | 117 | | considered as a limitation upon any power necessary or 103 |
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118 | 118 | | appropriate to carry out the purposes and intent of this 104 |
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119 | 119 | | chapter; 105 |
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120 | 120 | | (15) To provide for health, accident, disability and 106 |
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121 | 121 | | pension benefits for the salaried members of its organized 107 |
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122 | 122 | | fire department of the district and such other benefits for 108 |
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123 | 123 | | their spouses and eligible unemancipated children, through 109 |
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124 | 124 | | either or both a contributory or noncontributory plan. For 110 |
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125 | 125 | | purposes of this section, "eligible unemancipated child" 111 |
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126 | 126 | | means a natural or adopted child of an insured, or a 112 |
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127 | 127 | | stepchild of an insured who is domiciled with the insured, 113 |
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128 | 128 | | who is less than twenty -three years of age, who is not 114 SB 602 5 |
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129 | 129 | | married, not employed on a full -time basis, not maintaining 115 |
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130 | 130 | | a separate residence except for full -time students in an 116 |
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131 | 131 | | accredited school or institution of higher learning, and who 117 |
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132 | 132 | | is dependent on parents or guardians for at least fifty 118 |
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133 | 133 | | percent of his or her support. The type and amount of such 119 |
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134 | 134 | | benefits shall be de termined by the board of directors of 120 |
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135 | 135 | | the fire protection district within the level of available 121 |
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136 | 136 | | revenues of the pension program and other available revenues 122 |
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137 | 137 | | of the district. If an employee contributory plan is 123 |
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138 | 138 | | adopted, then at least one voting member of the board of 124 |
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139 | 139 | | trustees shall be a member of the fire district elected by 125 |
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140 | 140 | | the contributing members, which shall not be the same as the 126 |
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141 | 141 | | board of directors; 127 |
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142 | 142 | | (16) To contract with any municipality that is 128 |
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143 | 143 | | contiguous to a fire protection district f or the fire 129 |
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144 | 144 | | protection district to provide fire protection to the 130 |
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145 | 145 | | municipality for a fee as hereinafter provided; 131 |
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146 | 146 | | (17) To provide for life insurance, accident, 132 |
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147 | 147 | | sickness, health, disability, annuity, length of service, 133 |
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148 | 148 | | pension, retirement and othe r employee-type fringe benefits, 134 |
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149 | 149 | | subject to the provisions of section 70.615, for the 135 |
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150 | 150 | | volunteer members of any organized fire department of the 136 |
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151 | 151 | | district and such other benefits for their spouses and 137 |
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152 | 152 | | eligible unemancipated children, through either a 138 |
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153 | 153 | | contributory or noncontributory plan, or both. For purposes 139 |
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154 | 154 | | of this section, "eligible unemancipated child" means a 140 |
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155 | 155 | | natural or adopted child of an insured, or a stepchild of an 141 |
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156 | 156 | | insured who is domiciled with the insured, who is less than 142 |
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157 | 157 | | twenty-three years of age, who is not married, not employed 143 |
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158 | 158 | | on a full-time basis, not maintaining a separate residence 144 |
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159 | 159 | | except for full-time students in an accredited school or 145 |
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160 | 160 | | institution of higher learning, and who is dependent on 146 SB 602 6 |
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161 | 161 | | parents or guardians for at least fi fty percent of his or 147 |
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162 | 162 | | her support. The type and amount of such benefits shall be 148 |
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163 | 163 | | determined by the board of directors of the fire protection 149 |
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164 | 164 | | district within available revenues of the district, 150 |
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165 | 165 | | including the pension program of the district. The 151 |
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166 | 166 | | provision and receipt of such benefits shall not make the 152 |
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167 | 167 | | recipient an employee of the district. Directors who are 153 |
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168 | 168 | | also volunteer members may receive such benefits while 154 |
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169 | 169 | | serving as a director of the district; 155 |
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170 | 170 | | (18) To contract for services with any rur al, 156 |
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171 | 171 | | volunteer or subscription fire department or organization, 157 |
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172 | 172 | | or volunteer fire protection association, as defined in 158 |
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173 | 173 | | section 320.300, for the purpose of providing the benefits 159 |
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174 | 174 | | described in subdivision (17) of this section. 160 |
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175 | 175 | | |
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