CCS/HS/HCS/SCS/SB 436 - This act allows overlapping ambulance or fire districts in third classification counties in to choose between the overlapping districts. Current law allows voters in third classification counties to choose whether or not to continue taxation by the fire district or ambulance district when the two service areas overlap.

In Section 321.242, this act also expands provisions to impose a sales tax up to one-fourth of one percent on retail sales for providing fire protection. The current law limits this taxing ability to those fire districts meeting certain population requirements and in a first classification county, except St. Louis County. The act expands the taxing ability to include any municipality having a municipal fire department.

This act authorizes ambulance districts, fire protection districts, and volunteer fire department organizations to provide life, health, accident and other forms of insurance and other types of employee-type benefits, subject to Section 70.615, to their volunteer members. The receipt of such benefits by the volunteer members shall not make them employees of the district or organization. For purposes of insurance, the act also changes beneficiaries from "children" to "eligible unemancipated child".

The act also revises the qualifications required for one of the member positions on the Advisory Committee for the 911 Services Board within the Department of Public Safety. The Board position designated for a member of the general public is changed to be a person representing an association providing 911 training.

Section 650.340, the "911 Training and Standards Act", contains training requirements for telecommunicators who answer 911 calls that come to public safety answering points. The training requirements are waived for persons employed as telecommunicators prior to August 28, 1999; for any person who provides proof of equivalent training in another state; and for emergency medical dispatchers, persons trained by certain accredited entities, or persons providing prearrival medical instructions.

In Section 190.307, current law exempts most central dispatchers for emergency services and their employees from liability for their acts relating to the provision of emergency services. This act extends the same exemption to emergency service providers created under legislative acts adopted in 1996 and 1997.

Section 1 allows fire protection district board members in Jackson, St. Charles and St. Louis counties to receive additional compensation of up to $100 for meeting attendance, but not more that 4 meetings per month.

Portions of this act are similar to SCS/HB 847, TAT/HB 268, SB 463 and SCS/HB 318.
CHARLES HATCHER