A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to simplify various local firefighters' relief fund board reporting requirements.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 58‑84‑40 reads as rewritten:
"§ 58‑84‑40.  Trustees to keep account and file certified reports.
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(b)	In turn, the North Carolina State Firefighters' Association shall certify to the Department of Insurance by January 1 of each year on a form prescribed by the Department, the following:
(1)	The local units that have complied with the requirements of subsection (a) of this section.
(2)	A listing of the members of each of the local units.
(3)	The fund balances for each of the local units' relief funds.
(4)	Any departments that have exceeded the maximum balance provided under G.S. 58‑84‑33(a).
(5)	Details on the disbursements from local relief funds, including how much was disbursed for each allowable purpose and how many members received disbursements for those purposes, on both a unit‑by‑unit basis and total basis.
(6)	Information on any improper disbursements.
(7)	A listing of current members of the local board of trustees appointed pursuant to G.S. 58‑84‑30, including the chairman and treasurer of the board.
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SECTION 2.  G.S. 58‑84‑41 reads as rewritten:
"§ 58‑84‑41.  Commissioner of Insurance to maintain database of reports; fire department identification numbers.
(a)	Working with the North Carolina State Firefighters' Association, the Commissioner of Insurance shall develop and maintain a database of the information reported under G.S. 58‑84‑40(b) and the certifications filed under G.S. 58‑84‑46.
(b)	The Commissioner of Insurance shall issue to each fire department within the State a unique fire department identification number (FDID) that shall be used by the Commissioner and the North Carolina State Firefighters' Association to coordinate database records and reports."
SECTION 3.  G.S. 58‑84‑46 reads as rewritten:
"§ 58‑84‑46.  Certification to Commissioner.
On or before October 31 of each year the fire chief of each city or county that has a local board of trustees under G.S. 58‑84‑30 shall file a certificate of eligibility with the North Carolina State Firefighters' Association on a form prescribed by the Association. If the certificate is not filed with the Association on or before January 31 in the ensuing year:
(1)	If the fire chief fails to file the certificate required by this section, the local Firefighters' Relief Fund for that fire department shall forfeit the payment next due to be paid to the Fund's board of trustees.
(2)	The Association shall inform the Commissioner of the local Firefighters' Relief Funds that have not filed the certificate required by this section, and the Commissioner shall pay over that amount otherwise due to those local Funds to the treasurer of the North Carolina State Firefighters' Association.
(3)	That amount shall constitute a part of the Statewide Firefighters' Relief Fund."
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2017, and applies to distributions to local Firefighters' Relief Funds on or after that date.