House Bill 15-1017 Summary

• Enacts the "Volunteer Fire Department Organization Act" to establish a framework for organizing nonprofit, nongovernmental volunteer fire departments in Colorado areas lacking organized fire protection.

• Requires volunteer fire departments to be organized as Colorado nonprofit corporations and enter into agreements with local government entities (towns, cities, counties, sheriffs, or state division) specifying service types and boundaries.

• Mandates volunteer fire departments complete registration forms with the state division within 60 days after January 1, 2016, and annually thereafter to receive a fire department identification number.

• Allows individuals to petition the state director for technical or funding assistance to create new volunteer fire departments, provided the director first consults local officials and considers alternatives like expanding existing districts.

• Makes recognized volunteer fire departments eligible for state funding assistance, including grant awards for firefighter safety and disease prevention, on equal terms with other fire departments unless specifically excluded.