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SB 20 West Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Requiring funding for increased costs to volunteer fire departments and EMS units

SB 20 requires the state to fund increased costs for volunteer fire departments and EMS units resulting from new state rules. It creates a new Fire Service Recruitment and Retention Fund, which will provide grants to help departments hire and retain volunteers. Funding for the program comes from increased insurance policy surcharges (raising the standard surcharge to 1% and surplus lines to 5%). The bill also updates rules governing how state funds can be used by volunteer departments, ensuring money covers specific needs like equipment, training, and operational costs.
Issues: ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates new tax surcharges (1% standard, 5% surplus lines) to fund fire/EMS recruitment/retention, directly supporting public safety budget through targeted revenue generation.92% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill funds EMS units via grants from insurance surcharges, directly supporting emergency medical services within healthcare infrastructure.85% confidence
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 12, 2025 Last action Mar 7, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Committee Substitute · 7 edits
MODERATE
This bill significantly expands the scope of SB 20 by adding a new section for a Fire Service Recruitment and Retention Fund, updating the bill's title to reflect broader changes including new surcharge rates and fund allocations, and adding new provisions for emergency medical services funding. The changes matter because they create new funding mechanisms for volunteer fire departments and EMS units, increase insurance surcharges to finance these funds, and establish new grant programs for recruitment and retention.
Scope change
Expanded from only volunteer fire departments to include emergency medical services units and added a new dedicated fund for fire service recruitment and retention.
FISCAL

Added a new Fire Service Recruitment and Retention Fund (§15A-11-11a) to provide grants for recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters.

Increased the fire insurance policy surcharge from 0.55% to 1% effective December 31, 2025.

Increased the surplus lines tax from 4.55% to 5%.

Added funding provision for emergency medical services units to cover increased costs from legislative rule implementation.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for volunteer fire departments to use the State Auditor's West Virginia Checkbook fiscal reporting system by January 1, 2027.

Added new eligibility verification process where Legislative Auditor must notify State Fire Marshal of ineligible departments.

TIMELINE

Updated effective dates for surcharge allocations to December 31, 2025.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
1
Committee
4
Mar 7, 2025
Committee
To Finance
upper
Mar 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee substitute reported, but first to Finance
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Committee
To Government Organization
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Committee
To Government Organization then Finance
upper
0 primary · 4 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.