(1) There shall be established a special fund exclusively for the purpose of this chapter, which in the case of chapter plans shall be known as the “Firefighters’ Pension Trust Fund,” in each municipality and each special fire control district of this state heretofore or hereafter created which now has or which may hereafter have a constituted fire department or an authorized volunteer fire department, or any combination thereof.

(2) To qualify as a fire department or volunteer fire department or combination thereof under the provisions of this chapter, the department shall own and use apparatus for the fighting of fires that was in compliance with National Fire Protection Association Standards for Automotive Fire Apparatus at the time of purchase.

(3) The provisions of this chapter shall apply only to municipalities organized and established pursuant to the laws of the state and to special fire control districts, and said provisions shall not apply to the unincorporated areas of any county or counties except with respect to special fire control districts that include unincorporated areas, nor shall the provisions hereof apply to any governmental entity whose firefighters are eligible to participate in the Florida Retirement System.

(a) Special fire control districts that include, or consist exclusively of, unincorporated areas of one or more counties may levy and impose the tax and participate in the retirement programs enabled by this chapter.

(b) With respect to the distribution of premium taxes, a single consolidated government consisting of a former county and one or more municipalities, consolidated pursuant to s. 3 or s. 6(e), Art. VIII of the State Constitution, is also eligible to participate under this chapter. The consolidated government shall notify the division when it has entered into an interlocal agreement to provide fire services to a municipality within its boundaries. The municipality may enact an ordinance levying the tax as provided in s. 175.101. Upon being provided copies of the interlocal agreement and the municipal ordinance levying the tax, the division may distribute any premium taxes reported for the municipality to the consolidated government as long as the interlocal agreement is in effect.

(c) Any municipality that has entered into an interlocal agreement to provide fire protection services to any other incorporated municipality, in its entirety, for a period of 12 months or more may be eligible to receive the premium taxes reported for such other municipality. In order to be eligible for such premium taxes, the municipality providing the fire services must notify the division that it has entered into an interlocal agreement with another municipality. The municipality receiving the fire services may enact an ordinance levying the tax as provided in s. 175.101. Upon being provided copies of the interlocal agreement and the municipal ordinance levying the tax, the division may distribute any premium taxes reported for the municipality receiving the fire services to the participating municipality providing the fire services as long as the interlocal agreement is in effect.

(4) No municipality shall establish more than one retirement plan for public safety officers which is supported in whole or in part by the distribution of premium tax funds as provided by this chapter or chapter 185, nor shall any municipality establish a retirement plan for public safety officers which receives premium tax funds from both this chapter and chapter 185.

History.—s. 1, ch. 63-249; s. 1, ch. 65-153; ss. 2, 3, ch. 79-380; s. 1, ch. 79-388; s. 14, ch. 93-193; s. 3, ch. 99-1; s. 1, ch. 2002-29; s. 2, ch. 2005-205.