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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Leavelle

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/16/07

HB

SHORT TITLE PRC Fire Marshal Division

SB 732

ANALYST Earnest

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

NFI

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates House Bill 622

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 732 elevates the fire marshal’s bureau within the Insurance Division to a division

under the Public Regulation Commission (PRC). The bill also eliminates the requirement that

the State Fire Marshal and Deputy State Fire Marshals be experienced in fire prevention and fire

fighting and have completed training at a fire-training school.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

None identified.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) and State Firefighting Academy (SFFA) are funded

through insurance premiums transferred from the insurance suspense fund to the fire protection

fund. The Legislature appropriates the budget of SFMO and SFFA under the Public Safety

Program of the PRC. This bill better aligns statute to the operating structure of the PRC.

Senate Bill 732 – Page

2

DFA notes that the State Fire Marshal position is currently classified as a bureau chief and would

be elevated to a division director if HB 622 is adopted. The State Fire Marshal is an exempt

employee now and would stay an exempt employee now. The Deputy State Fire Marshal is

currently a classified employee and would remain a classified employee. All other duties and

responsibilities of the Insurance Division would remain the same.

The bill removes a statutory requirement that the Fire Marshal and Deputy Fire Marshals be

experienced fire fighters.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

Under this bill, the State Fire Marshal would report directly to the Chief of Staff and PRC.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

The State Fire Marshal’s Office will remain a bureau of the Insurance Division and the State Fire

Marshal will be still required to be an experienced fire fighter.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Senate Bill 732 duplicates House Bill 622.

BE/mt