Requires grants under the volunteer fire infrastructure and response equipment (V-FIRE) grant program to be awarded equally among the regions of the state with eligible departments.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8700--A
IN SENATE
January 7, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sens. RHOADS, CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK -- read twice and
ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to the administration of
grants under the volunteer fire infrastructure and response equipment
(V-FIRE) grant program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 709-b
2 to read as follows:
3 § 709-b. Administration of the volunteer fire infrastructure and
4 response equipment (V-FIRE) grant program. 1. Funds available under the
5 volunteer fire infrastructure and response equipment (V-FIRE) grant
6 program administered by the division shall be awarded in equal amounts
7 to each region of the state which have eligible departments. Regions
8 shall be as established in article eleven of the economic development
9 law with the exception of the New York city region. The division shall
10 establish criteria for each region designed to identify eligible fire
11 departments within each region with the greatest needs. Such criteria
12 may limit eligibility to wholly volunteer districts but shall not
13 prohibit awards on the basis of the size of the department's operating
14 budget.
15 2. Solely for the purposes of this section and notwithstanding any
16 conflicting provision of law, eligible departments within the city of
17 New York shall be considered a part of the Long Island region.
18 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13543-06-6
