HB 127 – Allowing Counties to Establish Fire Protection Fees

State Representative Paul Baumbach has introduced House Bill 127, which allow each county to impose fire protection fees by county ordinance, with the proceeds of the fees going to the independent and volunteer fire companies in each county. Our independent and volunteer fire companies are severly underfunded currently.

The bill is out of committe and on the House Ready List.

HOUSE BILL 127 – ALLOWING COUNTIES TO ESTABLISH FIRE PROTECTION FEES	Currrent Status – Out of Committee 5/2/23
House Sponsors – Baumbach, Wilson-Anton, Johnson, Lambert, Osienski // Hilovsky	Senate Sponsors – Huxtable, Townsend, Hansen, Sokola, Walsh // Wilson
House Yes Votes –	Senate Yes Votes –
House No Votes –	Senate No Votes –
House Absents or Not Voting –	Senate Absent or Not Voting –

Representative Baumbach: “I was proud of the House Housing Committee’s unanimous release of my House Bill 127, which provides the three counties the ability to assess a fire protection fee, with the proceeds to be paid to the fire and ambulance companies serving the respective county. These companies are NOT an arm of the government, they are independent, non-profit organizations.

I am very appreciative of the support of chair Rep. Kendra Johnson and vice-chair Rep. Larry Lambert, and especially, the Delaware Volunteer Firefighter’s Association in advocating for our fire-service first responders up and down the state, in helping me to understand how critical and urgent this issue is for our state.

I was initially concerned with how the hearing would go, until I saw the fire officials walking down the hall to the hearing room. “Here comes the calvary” is all I could think of.”