SB 62 — Volunteer Fire Department Preservation Act.

FILED SENATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA FebSESSION 8, 2021 S.B.S 1 SENATE BILL 62 Short Title:

62 SESSION 2021 PRINCIPAL CLERK S D SENATE BILL DRS15007-MHfp-26A Short Title:

Rules and Operations of the Senate February 9, 2021 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO ENACT THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT PRESERVATION ACT OF 2021.

*DRS15007-MHfp-26A**S62-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2021 (b) Membership.

Page 2 DRS15007-MHfp-26ASenate Bill 62-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2021 (d) Eligibility Criteria.

– A recipient must become and remain a student at a North Carolina community college in an applied associate degree in fire protection or in a Committee-approved related field of study at all times during each of the recipient's two academic years of communitycommunitycollege college study and continuously pursue studies that will qualifyqualifythe the recipient to be employed or volunteer in an eligible fire service department upon graduation.

DRS15007-MHfp-26ASenate Bill 62-First Edition Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2021 (a) Forgivable Loans.

Refusal or nondeliverynondeliveryat at that address will be deemed delivered after seven days.

The Committee maymayallow allow a recipient who is in default to repay all funds distributed, including interest.

… (50) Twenty-five percent (25%) of the assessed value of housing together with the necessary land therefor, owned and used as a primary residence by an unpaid member of a volunteer fire department who (i) is on the certified roster, (ii) attended at least 36 hours of fire department drills and meetings during the Page 4 DRS15007-MHfp-26ASenate Bill 62-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2021 taxable year, and (iii) has more than five years of volunteer fire service, as verified from the certified roster.

The monthly payments shall be credited to the separate account of the member andshall be kept bybythe the custodian so it is available for payment on withdrawal from membership or retirement.

Each eligible rescue squad worker upon becoming a member shall pay the director of the fund the sum often dollars ($10.00) twentytwentydollars dollars ($20.00) per month;

The monthly payments shall be credited to the separate account of the member andshall be kept bybythe the custodian so it is available for payment on withdrawal from membership or retirement.

Upon becoming a member, the worker maymaymake make a lump sum payment of ten dollars ($10.00) twentytwentydollars dollars ($20.00) per month retroactively to the time the worker first became eligible to become a member, plus interest at an DRS15007-MHfp-26ASenate Bill 62-First Edition Page 5 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2021 annual rate to be set bybythe the board upon advice from actuaryactuaryfor for each year of retroactive payments.

(b) Members shall paypayten ten dollars ($10.00) twentytwentydollars dollars ($20.00) per month as required by G.S.

(c) A member who is totally and permanently disabled while in the discharge of the member's official duties as a result of bodily injuries sustained or as a result of extreme exercise or extreme activity experienced in the course and scope of those official duties and who leaves the fire or rescue squad service because of this disabilitydisabilityshall shall be entitled to be paid from the fund a monthly benefit in an amount of one hundred seventy dollars ($170.00) one hundred eighty dollars ($180.00) per month beginning the first month after the member's fifty-fifth birthday.

(1) If the member had been receiving a monthly pension fund benefit prior to being killed in the line of duty, there shall be paid to the member's principal beneficiary, if only one principal beneficiary is eligible and has not accepted a return of contributions, an amount of one hundred seventy dollars ($170.00) Page 6 DRS15007-MHfp-26ASenate Bill 62-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2021 one hundred eighty dollars ($180.00) per month beginning the month following the member's month of death, payable until the beneficiary's death.

(3) If the member had not yet begun receiving a monthly benefit prior to being killed in the line of duty, there shall be paid to the member's principal beneficiary, if only one principal beneficiary is eligible and has not accepted a return of contributions, an amount of one hundred seventy dollars ($170.00) one hundred eighty dollars ($180.00) per month beginning the month followingfollowingthemonththe themonththememberwouldhaveattainedage55,memberwouldhaveattainedage55,orifthemember orifthemember had already attained age 55, beginning the month following the member's month of death, payable until the beneficiary's death.

A beneficiarybeneficiaryunder under this subsection shall not be required to make the monthly payment of ten dollars ($10.00) twenty dollars ($20.00) as required by G.S.

DRS15007-MHfp-26ASenate Bill 62-First Edition Page 7