HCS/SB 978 - This act modifies provisions relating to boards overseeing emergency services. SECTION 190.056 Under this act, each member of an ambulance district board of directors shall be subject to recall from office by the registered voters of the election district from which he or she was elected. Proceedings for the recall are commenced by the filing of a notice of intention to circulate a recall petition. The notice must be served personally, or by certified mail, on the board member and filed with the election authority. A separate notice is needed for each member sought to be recalled and must contain information explaining the reason for the recall. It must list at least one but not more than five proponents of the recall. Within seven days, the board member may file a statement answering the statement of the proponents. The answer must be served on at least one proponent. The statement and answer are for the voters' informational purposes only. A member cannot be recalled if he or she: 1) has not held office during the current term for more than 180 days; 2) has 180 days or less remaining on his or her current term; or 3) has had a recall election determined in his or her favor within the current term. The person circulating the petition must sign an affidavit verifying certain information. A recall petition must be filed with the election authority not more than 180 days after the filing of the notice of intention. The number of signatures needed shall equal at least 25% of the number of voters who voted in the most recent gubernatorial election in the election district. The election authority has twenty days from the date of filing the petition to determine if enough voters signed the petition. It must file a certificate showing whether there are enough signatures. If the election authority certifies the petition does not have enough signatures, it may be supplemented within ten days of the date of certificate. The election authority must then certify the supplemented petition. If it is insufficient, no further action shall be taken. If the petition is sufficient, the election authority shall submit its certificate to the board of directors and order an election within a certain amount of time. Nominations for board membership openings shall be made by filing a statement of candidacy with the election authority. Any time prior to forty-two days before the election, the member sought to be recalled may offer his or her resignation and the recall question shall be removed from the ballot and the office declared vacant. SECTION 321.015 Under this act, a person holding state office or employment is not prohibited from holding the office of fire protection district director. SECTION 321.200 This act authorizes fire protection district boards to delegate certain powers and responsibilities to the fire chief and to rescind that delegation upon a majority vote of the board. The powers and responsibilities that may be delegated include the power to enter into contracts, hire personnel, purchase, maintain, receive, and dispose of real and personal property, and manage, control, and supervise all the business and affairs of the district. This act is similar to HB 2245 (2008), a provision of SS/SCS/HB 1171 (2008) and HCS/SB 845 (2008). SUSAN HENDERSON MOORE