(1) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the “Fire Equipment Grant Fund” to be administered by the Department of Finance and Administration. The purpose of the special fund shall be to assist municipalities and counties by providing funds for fire safety protection and life saving equipment. The special fund shall consist of such monies which may be transferred from the Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Training and Equipment Trust Fund created under Section 45-2-1. The department shall retain an administrative fee in the amount of one percent (1%) of grants awarded from the Fire Equipment Grant Fund to defray the costs of administering the fund.
(2) The Fire Equipment Grant Fund shall be used to fund grants for fire and safety equipment. An equipment grant will be awarded based on need. Need shall be determined based upon the establishment of a multifactor scoring system described in subsection (3) of Section 17-24-5. A grant awarded under this subsection shall pay an amount up to seventy percent (70%) of the total purchase price of equipment.
(3) (a) A municipality or county that is the recipient of grant funds from the Fire Equipment Grant Fund must procure the equipment before the expiration of twelve (12) months following the date on which the grant funds are received. If a recipient of grant funds has not procured the equipment for which the funds were granted before the required date, the funds shall be returned to the Department of Finance and Administration by the appropriate entity. Where a municipality or county fails to return funds as required under this paragraph, the Department of Finance and Administration shall notify the State Auditor.(b) Upon receipt of the notification, the State Auditor shall send the county or municipality a letter expressing the State Auditor’s intent to seek recovery of the funds by issuing a certificate of noncompliance. If the funds have not been returned within thirty (30) days from the date of issuance of the letter of intent, the Auditor shall issue a certificate of noncompliance to the county or municipality and provide written notice of the certificate to the Department of Revenue.(c) The Department of Revenue shall withhold such amount which has not been returned to the Department of Finance and Administration in compliance with this subsection and shall transfer the withheld allocations and payments under Section 27-65-75 to the Department of Finance and Administration.(d) The State Treasurer, in conjunction with the State Fiscal Officer, shall transfer such funds into the Fire Equipment Grant Fund. Once a sum equal to the amount of funds owed to the state under this subsection by the county or municipality has been transferred into the Fire Equipment Grant Fund, the State Fiscal Officer shall certify to the State Auditor that the required funds have been returned to the Fire Equipment Grant Fund.(e) Upon receipt of the certification by the State Fiscal Officer under paragraph (d) of this subsection, the State Auditor shall cancel the certificate of noncompliance and inform the Department of Revenue of such cancellation in writing.
(a) A municipality or county that is the recipient of grant funds from the Fire Equipment Grant Fund must procure the equipment before the expiration of twelve (12) months following the date on which the grant funds are received. If a recipient of grant funds has not procured the equipment for which the funds were granted before the required date, the funds shall be returned to the Department of Finance and Administration by the appropriate entity. Where a municipality or county fails to return funds as required under this paragraph, the Department of Finance and Administration shall notify the State Auditor.
(b) Upon receipt of the notification, the State Auditor shall send the county or municipality a letter expressing the State Auditor’s intent to seek recovery of the funds by issuing a certificate of noncompliance. If the funds have not been returned within thirty (30) days from the date of issuance of the letter of intent, the Auditor shall issue a certificate of noncompliance to the county or municipality and provide written notice of the certificate to the Department of Revenue.
(c) The Department of Revenue shall withhold such amount which has not been returned to the Department of Finance and Administration in compliance with this subsection and shall transfer the withheld allocations and payments under Section 27-65-75 to the Department of Finance and Administration.
(d) The State Treasurer, in conjunction with the State Fiscal Officer, shall transfer such funds into the Fire Equipment Grant Fund. Once a sum equal to the amount of funds owed to the state under this subsection by the county or municipality has been transferred into the Fire Equipment Grant Fund, the State Fiscal Officer shall certify to the State Auditor that the required funds have been returned to the Fire Equipment Grant Fund.
(e) Upon receipt of the certification by the State Fiscal Officer under paragraph (d) of this subsection, the State Auditor shall cancel the certificate of noncompliance and inform the Department of Revenue of such cancellation in writing.