HB325 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Ernie YarbroughRepresentative

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Volunteer Fire Departments; provide means to establish and administer fire districts

Summary

HB325 lets Lawrence County form volunteer fire districts, fund them with voter-approved fire protection fees, and set governance and dissolution rules.

What This Bill Does

The bill creates a process for volunteer fire departments in Lawrence County to form fire districts, governed by a board selected from the department, with boundaries based on the department’s current service area. It authorizes districts to levy fire protection fees (subject to a voter majority), collect them with property taxes (with certain exemptions), and distribute revenue to eligible districts. It establishes governance, financial oversight, and dissolution procedures, and preserves the rights of existing districts while repealing a prior act. It also outlines cooperation with municipalities and clarifies that districts are public corporations with specific powers and responsibilities.

Who It Affects

• Volunteer fire departments in Lawrence County: may form legally recognized fire districts with elected boards and governing rules.
• Residents and property owners within the fire districts: may pay a fire protection fee (subject to voter approval) and receive fire protection services, with certain exemptions and collection mechanisms.

Key Provisions

• Formation process: a volunteer fire department submits a request to form a fire district to the county association, which forwards it to the county commission for approval, and includes a map of boundaries, bylaws, HQ location, and a plan for dissolution.
• Boundaries and cooperation: district boundaries equal the department’s current E-911 service area; unincorporated areas in municipalities may have cooperation agreements, and municipalities can opt to join the district with approvals from the county commission and the district.
• Governing board: the existing board serves for one year after incorporation, then a new board is elected with an odd number of members (minimum three), meeting qualifications (over 21, qualified elector of Lawrence County, district resident) for four-year terms.
• Powers and duties: districts are public corporations with authority to sue/be sued, adopt bylaws, acquire property, enter contracts, borrow money, hire staff/contractors, provide mutual aid, purchase insurance, and invest funds; they may levy a fire protection fee and hire attorneys as needed.
• Fire protection fee and funding: a majority of district electors must approve the fee; initial rate may start at up to $100 per dwelling/commercial building, with an additional large commercial fee; collected with property taxes; certain buildings and structures are exempt; revenue is distributed by a county association (50% equally among eligible departments, 50% by district building/dwelling ownership share).
• Oversight and reporting: districts must file annual financial reports, undergo audits by county association directors, and publish reports publicly; elections for fees and board positions follow standard election procedures; late fees and debt collection are allowed with approval.
• Dissolution: districts can be dissolved by county commission resolution, with funds and assets transferred to the county association for redistribution to other fire districts or departments; dissolution stops fee assessments unless a successor district is authorized within a specified period.
• Pre-existing districts: current districts as of October 1, 2025 are not impaired, and they may adopt the county association’s plan for fire districts; some prior acts are repealed or amended to conform to HB325.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Lawrence County