Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee hears proposal to use Legacy Fund earnings for $25M emergency‑services grant program
Summary
Senate Bill 2332 would seed a new state emergency‑services and public‑safety grant fund with $25 million from Legacy Fund earnings to help rural ambulance services, volunteer fire departments, search‑and‑rescue teams and 9‑1‑1 systems.
Senate Bill 2332, a proposal to create a Legacy Fund earnings‑backed emergency services and public safety fund, drew broad support from county and city officials, emergency responders and 9‑1‑1 coordinators during a State and Local Government Committee hearing.
Sponsor State Senator Josh Bauscher described the bill as a response to rural ambulance closures, aging volunteer bases and equipment shortfalls. “Our first responders, firefighters, paramedics, and law enforcement are the backbone of our communities,” Bauscher said in opening remarks, urging a dedicated funding stream to strengthen staffing, equipment and response capability.
The bill would create the Legacy Earnings Emergency Services and Public Safety Fund and an advisory board composed of statewide associations representing law enforcement, fire safety, EMS, emergency management and other stakeholders. Bauscher proposed directing $25 million from legacy fund earnings to seed the program and described potential priorities: recruiting and retaining responders, expanding rural emergency coverage, modernizing technology,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
