- House Committee Substitute -

HCS/SCS/SB 842 - This act requires that, beginning July 1, 2000, two-tenths of 1% of the premium taxes levied on insurance companies be credited to the Fire Education Fund. Currently, 3% of the amount collected which exceeds the premium taxes deposited in 1997 are credited to the fund.

The act requires the Department of Public Safety, subject to appropriations, to establish a grant program for volunteer fire protection associations and fire protection districts which collected or received less than $10,000 local tax revenue in the preceding year. The grants are to be awarded for the purchase of equipment and the construction of fire stations.

Under current law, Raytown and municipalities having a municipal fire department are allowed to impose a sales tax of up to 0.25% on all retail sales made within the municipality. The tax is to be used exclusively for the operation of the fire department. The substitute allows any fire protection district to impose this tax upon voter approval.

The act requires all existing high-rise buildings, except state buildings, to be protected by an approved fire protection sprinkler system by January 1, 2012. The standards for the plan must comply with the National Fire Protection Association Pamphlet 13. Owners of existing high-rise buildings which are not protected by a system must submit a written master plan to the State Fire Marshal. The act outlines the phases of the installation of a system. The State Fire Marshal is authorized to adopt rules that are necessary for the approval of sprinkler system master plans. A fee may be charged for the review or a plan. Violators of this law will be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.

The act allows fire protection districts within St. Louis County to contract for fire protection services for a fee with any municipality or village that does not operate its own fire department or does not receive protection from another district. The substitute allows for the negotiation of an agreement between the fire protection district and the municipality to provide fire protection service based on any method of compensation to which the parties agree. If the fire protection district is authorized to provide ambulance service within its district, then it may also provide ambulance service to the municipality. This portion of the substitute contains an emergency clause.

The act also allows fire districts in Jackson County to impose, upon voter approval, a retail sales tax on sales within the district in the amount of one-half of 1% for the operation of the fire protection district. The act requires local property taxes to be reduced by half the amount of sales taxes collected.

TOM MORTON