00 HOUSE CS FOR CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 140(FIN) 01 "An Act relating to a matching grant program for fire station construction and 02 renovation; and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04  * Section 1. AS 29.60 is amended by adding new sections to read: 05 Article 6A. Fire Station Grant Program.  06 Sec. 29.60.750. Fire station grant program. (a) A matching grant program is 07 established in the department for the purpose of funding fire station construction and 08 renovation. 09 (b) A person in charge of construction or renovation of an eligible fire station 10 may apply to the department for a matching grant under regulations adopted by the 11 department. 12 (c) The grant applicant shall provide at least 50 percent of the total project cost 13 as matching funds for the grant. Money received by the grant applicant from the state 14 may not be used for the matching funds except money received under 01 (1) AS 29.60.850 - 29.60.879 (community assistance program); 02 (2) AS 29.60.450, AS 43.75.130, and 43.75.137 (shared fisheries 03 business taxes); or 04 (3) AS 43.52.200 - 43.52.295 (excise tax on overnight 05 accommodations on commercial passenger vessels). 06 (d) The total award to an eligible applicant may not exceed $10,000,000 in a 07 fiscal year. 08 (e) The department shall convene a panel to evaluate and prioritize grant 09 applications. The panel must include 10 (1) the director of the division in the department that is responsible for 11 community and regional affairs, or the director's designee, and at least one other 12 employee of the department; 13 (2) a professional architect registered in the state or professional 14 engineer registered in the state; and 15 (3) two members of a statewide association of fire chiefs who do not 16 have a fire station project grant application under evaluation in the grant cycle. 17 (f) The department shall by regulation establish priorities for the award of 18 grants for proposed fire station projects. The department shall award grants in the 19 order of priority established. In establishing priorities, the department shall consider at 20 least the following: 21 (1) public safety and emergency factors; and 22 (2) the extent to which the grant recipient can demonstrate that the 23 recipient 24 (A) will have sufficient revenue to operate and maintain the fire 25 station in the future without state aid; 26 (B) has a preventive maintenance plan for the fire station; and 27 (C) will secure and maintain adequate property loss insurance 28 for the replacement cost of the fire station or has an adequate program of 29 insurance. 30 (g) The department may suggest modifications to a project application to 31 achieve cost savings or to better serve the public interest and, if the grant applicant 01 agrees, award a fire station construction or renovation grant for the proposed project as 02 modified. 03 Sec. 29.60.760. Fire station grant fund. (a) The fire station grant fund is 04 established in the department and consists of appropriations to the fund. The 05 legislature may appropriate to the fund income earned on money in the fund. 06 (b) Money appropriated to the fire station grant fund may be expended by the 07 department for fire station construction and renovation matching grants without 08 further appropriation. Money in the fund does not lapse and remains available for 09 expenditure in successive fiscal years. 10 (c) Each fiscal year, the department shall use an amount equal to at least 50 11 percent of the balance of the fire station grant fund on June 30 of the preceding fiscal 12 year for fire station construction and renovation matching grants. 13 Sec. 29.60.770. Regulations. The department may adopt regulations to 14 implement AS 29.60.750 - 29.60.770. 15  * Sec. 2. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026.