KRS 95A.240: Funds administered by commission -- Changes in training requirements.

(1) The commission shall administer the fund pursuant to the provisions of KRS

95A.200 to 95A.300 and may issue such reasonable rules and regulations as, in its

discretion, will facilitate the administration of the fund and further the purposes of

KRS 95A.200 to 95A.300.

(2) The commission shall determine which local governments are eligible to share in

the fund and may withhold or terminate payments to any local government th at

does not comply with the requirements of KRS 95A.200 to 95A.300 or the rules

and regulations issued by the commission thereunder.

(3) The commission shall, from the moneys appropriated to and accruing to the fund

from any source, reimburse the Kentucky Community and Technical College

System for salaries and other costs of administering the fund, including, but not

limited to the costs of commission operations. The amount of reimbursement for

any given year shall be determined by the commission and shall not exceed five

percent (5%) of the total appropriation to the fund for that year.

(4) The commission or its personnel shall not:

(a) Increase the amount of the four hundred (400) hour training requirement

required to be completed by firefighters for basic training as set out in KRS

95A.230(4), except that the commission may certify the basic training

educational programs and schools of a local government conducting its own

basic training courses of a different amount of hours from four hundred (400)

hours that are approved by the commission in accordance with KRS 95A.040;

or

(b) Increase the amount of the one hundred (100) hour training requirement

required to be completed for annual in -service training established by KRS

95A.230(5), except that the commiss ion may certify the training and

educational programs of a local government conducting its own annual in -

service training school of a different amount of hours from one hundred (100)

hours that is approved by the commission in accordance with KRS 95A.040.

(5) The commission shall have the authority to reduce or provide an alternative

procedure to the required four hundred (400) hours of basic training established in

KRS 95A.230(4) as well as the required one hundred (100) hours of required in -

service traini ng also established in KRS 95A.230(5) if the reduction in hours or

alternative procedure is based on a certification or equivalence -based testing

process determined by the commission. The commission shall specifically establish

the lower required hours or alternative procedure based on specific standards

through an administrative regulation promulgated in accordance with KRS Chapter

13A as it is authorized to do under KRS 95A.050.

(6) Nothing in this chapter shall be interpreted to authorize the commission or its

personnel to increase the amount of the one hundred fifty (150) hour requirement

required to be completed by firefighters in a volunteer fire department in order for

the department to qualify for volunteer department aid under KRS 95A.262(2). The

commission shall have the authority to reduce or provide an alternative procedure to

achieve the required number of hours if the reduction in hours is based on a

certification or equivalence-based testing process determined by the commission. If

the commissi on seeks to reduce the hours or provide an alternative procedure to

achieve the required number of hours, it shall specifically establish the lower

required hours or alternative procedure through an administrative regulation

promulgated in accordance with KRS Chapter 13A as it is authorized to do so under

KRS 95A.050.