| 3 | 5 | | |
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| 4 | 6 | | |
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| 5 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 9 | | relating to the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program |
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| 8 | 10 | | and authorizing an increase in the assessment on certain insurers |
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| 9 | 11 | | that fund the program. |
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| 10 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Section 2007.002, Insurance Code, is amended to |
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| 12 | 14 | | read as follows: |
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| 13 | 15 | | Sec. 2007.002. ASSESSMENT. The comptroller shall assess |
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| 14 | 16 | | against all insurers to which this chapter applies amounts for each |
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| 15 | 17 | | state fiscal year necessary, as determined by the commissioner, to |
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| 16 | 18 | | collect [a combined total equal to the lesser of: |
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| 17 | 19 | | [(1)] the total amount that the General Appropriations |
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| 18 | 20 | | Act appropriates from the volunteer fire department assistance fund |
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| 19 | 21 | | account in the general revenue fund for that state fiscal year, |
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| 20 | 22 | | other than appropriations for contributions to the Texas Emergency |
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| 21 | 23 | | Services Retirement System made under Section 614.104(d), |
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| 22 | 24 | | Government Code[; or |
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| 23 | 25 | | [(2) $30 million]. |
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| 24 | 26 | | SECTION 2. Section 614.102, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 25 | 27 | | adding Subsections (i) and (j) to read as follows: |
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| 26 | 28 | | (i) At least 10 percent of appropriations for a state fiscal |
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| 27 | 29 | | year from the fund is allocated for the purpose of providing |
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| 28 | 30 | | assistance to volunteer fire departments in areas of the state |
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| 29 | 31 | | defined by the service as high risk for large wildfires. |
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| 30 | 32 | | (j) If the amount of assistance requested in a state fiscal |
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| 31 | 33 | | year by eligible departments described by Subsection (i) is less |
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| 32 | 34 | | than the amount allocated under that subsection, the remaining |
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| 33 | 35 | | amount may be used for other types of requests for assistance |
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| 34 | 36 | | described by this subchapter. |
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| 35 | 37 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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