SECTION 1.  Chapter 22D of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 6, the following section:-

 Section 7. (a) There shall be in the department of fire services, but not under its control, a fire fighter staffing coordinating council for the purposes of providing municipal staffing recommendations and administering the firefighter staffing grant fund. The council shall consist of: the secretary of public safety and security or a designee; the state fire marshal or a designee; and 5 members to be appointed by the governor, 2 of whom shall be members of the Fire Chiefs' Association of Massachusetts, Inc., 2 of whom shall be members of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts and 1 of whom shall be a member a representative of the insurance industry. The governor shall appoint members for a term of 3 years and any such member shall be eligible for reappointment. A person shall not receive compensation for service as a member of the council.

 (b) Every four years, the council shall conduct a comprehensive municipal fire fighter staffing survey to inform awards granted under the firefighter staffing grant program, shall administer the program and shall promulgate regulations necessary for its implementation not later than one hundred eighty days after the effective date of this act.

 (c)  The council shall administer the program and establish an application process, including application forms, deadlines, and submission requirements.  The council shall accept applications on an annual basis, or more frequently as the council may determine.

 SECTION 2.  Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2FFFFFFF the following section:-

 Section 2XXXXXX.  There is hereby established on the books of the Commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Firefighter Staffing Grant Fund.  The fund shall be administered by the fire fighter staffing coordinating council and shall be used exclusively to provide financial assistance to eligible municipalities to hire, retain, and train firefighters to achieve staffing levels consistent with NFPA 1710 or, for volunteer and combination departments, NFPA 1720.

 The fund shall consist of appropriations or other money authorized by the General Court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; funds from federal, private, or other sources received by the Commonwealth for the purpose of firefighter staffing assistance; interest earned on money in the fund; and funds from any other source.

 Money in the fund shall be expended without further appropriation.  Any unexpended balance in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall be available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years.