House 5347

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 5347

By Delegates Hillenbrand and Funkhouser

[Introduced February 09, 2026; referred to the Committee on Government Organization]

A BILL to amend and reenact §8-15-8a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to eligibility requirements for allocation from the Fire Protection Fund; adding a requirement for membership in good standing with the West Virginia State Firemen’s Association; defining "good standing"; and specifying compliance with applicable federal and state laws.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 15. FIRE FIGHTING; FIRE COMPANIES AND DEPARTMENTS; CIVIL SERVICE FOR PAID FIRE DEPARTMENTS §8-15-8a. Eligibility for allocation from municipal pensions and protection fund and the Fire Protection Fund.

§8-15-8a. Eligibility for allocation from municipal pensions and protection fund and the Fire Protection Fund.

(a) In order to be eligible to receive revenues allocated from the municipal pensions and protection fund or the Fire Protection Fund, each volunteer or part volunteer fire company or department must meet the following requirements:

(1) Submit and maintain current submission of fire loss data to the State Fire Marshal;

(2) Complete or be in the process of receiving firefighters training, including section one of the West Virginia University fire service extension or its equivalent. The fire company or department must have at least ten members certified as having completed the training or if a volunteer fire company or department has twenty or fewer members, fifty percent of the active volunteer members must have completed such training; and

(3) Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, including, but not limited to, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, and West Virginia Code Chapter 29A regarding state administrative procedures; and

(4) Shall be a member of the West Virginia State Firemen’s Association with the following conditions:

(a) A current membership without outstanding dues exceeding 90 days, and

(b) Not under any active suspension or expulsion by the Association.

(b)(c) Each volunteer or part volunteer fire company or department shall have a grace period of ninety days, beyond the allocation date in which to comply with submission requirements to the State Fire Marshal. The State Fire Marshal shall notify each volunteer or part volunteer fire company or department of the due date for submitting the information required by this section and the grace period by certified mailing requiring signature and a return receipt.

(c)(d) When the records or property of a volunteer or part volunteer fire company or department are destroyed by a fire or other natural disaster, then the affected volunteer or part volunteer fire company or department is exempt from the provisions of subdivision (1) and (4), within subsection (a) of this section, for the three months 90-day period immediately following the destruction of the records.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to add a requirement that volunteer or part volunteer fire companies or departments must be members in good standing with the West Virginia State Firemen’s Association to be eligible for revenues from the Fire Protection Fund, to objectively define "good standing", and to specify compliance with applicable federal and state laws.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.