HB2759 creates the Oklahoma Volunteer Firefighter Support Program, a new grant program intended to help volunteer firefighters obtain training. Under the bill, eligible volunteer firefighters may receive assistance for up to 10 hours of training per year from programs approved by the State Fire Marshal or the Forestry Division of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry.
The bill directs the State Fire Marshal to establish an application system for the grant assistance and authorizes the agency to promulgate rules to administer the program. It also creates a dedicated revolving fund in the State Treasury, the Oklahoma Volunteer Firefighter Support Revolving Fund, to receive appropriations, donations, grants, and other designated funding sources for the program. Those monies are continuously appropriated to the State Fire Marshal for use in carrying out the act, and the bill takes effect November 1, 2025.
Impact
HB2759 adds new sections to Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes and establishes a state-administered funding mechanism for volunteer firefighter training support. It affects the State Fire Marshal’s duties by giving that office responsibility for applications, rulemaking, and expenditure of the revolving fund. The bill primarily impacts volunteer fire departments and individual volunteer firefighters by providing a state grant pathway for training assistance, while also creating a new continuing fund in the State Treasury for program financing.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong support for the bill. It passed the House Appropriations and Budget Committee unanimously, passed House third reading by a wide margin, and then passed the Senate with only one dissenting vote. The lack of committee transcripts limits insight into detailed debate, but the vote pattern suggests broad bipartisan agreement that supporting volunteer firefighter training is a worthwhile public safety measure.
Contention
There is little evidence of significant controversy in the available record. The only recorded opposition was a single no vote in the Senate, and no committee discussion transcripts are provided to identify the specific objection. Any potential points of contention would likely center on funding, administrative burden, or the scope of the grant program, but the legislative record supplied here does not show sustained disagreement over those issues.