(1) Subject to available appropriations, the board shall administer the recruitment of wildland fire prevention and mitigation educators program to increase the number of available qualified wildland fire prevention and mitigation educators. (2) The board shall allocate grants, pursuant to section 23-18-308 (1)(k), to institutions that deliver a wildland fire prevention and mitigation degree or certificate program or course. The institutions may use the money to: (a) Provide the compensation and benefits necessary to attract and retain qualified wildland fire prevention and mitigation educators; and (b) Train persons to become qualified wildland fire prevention and mitigation educators. (3) (a) For the 2023-24 and the 2024-25 state fiscal years, the general assembly shall appropriate to the department for allocation by the board for use in accordance with subsection (2) of this section two hundred fifty thousand dollars from the general fund in each state fiscal year, of which one percent may be used for administration of the program. Any amount of the appropriation that is unencumbered or unexpended at the end of either the 2023-24 state fiscal year or the 2024-25 state fiscal year: (I) Does not revert to the general fund or any other fund; (II) May be used by the board in the subsequent state fiscal year without further appropriation; and (III) Must not be used for any other purpose other than the purposes set forth in this section. (b) In addition to the appropriation in this section, the board may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations from private or public sources for the program. (4) On or before January 1, 2024, and on or before January 1 of each year thereafter in which the committee meets, the department shall provide a summarized report regarding the program to the committee. Notwithstanding section 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), the reporting requirement in this subsection (4) continues indefinitely.
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