Volunteer firefighters, grants for workers' compensation insurance premiums — or critical illness benefits pool

1. As used in this section, the following terms shall mean: (1) "Association", volunteer fire protection associations as defined in section 320.300; (2) "State fire marshal", the state fire marshal selected under the provisions of sections 320.200 to 320.270*; (3) "Volunteer firefighter", the same meaning as in section 287.243; (4) "Voluntary critical illness benefits pool" or "pool", the same meaning as in section 320.400. 2. (1) Any association may apply to the state fire marshal for a grant for the purpose of funding such association's costs related to workers' compensation insurance premiums for volunteer firefighters. (2) Any voluntary critical illness benefits pool may apply to the state fire marshal for a grant for the voluntary critical illness benefits pool. 3. Subject to appropriations, the state fire marshal may disburse grants to any applying volunteer fire protection association subject to the following schedule: (1) Associations which had zero to five volunteer firefighters receive workers' compensation benefits from claims arising out of and in the course of the prevention or control of fire or the underwater recovery of drowning victims in the preceding calendar year shall be eligible for two thousand dollars in grant money; (2) Associations which had six to ten volunteer firefighters receive workers' compensation benefits from claims arising out of and in the course of the prevention or control of fire or the underwater recovery of drowning victims in the preceding calendar year shall be eligible for one thousand five hundred dollars in grant money; (3) Associations which had eleven to fifteen volunteer firefighters receive workers' compensation benefits from claims arising out of and in the course of the prevention or control of fire or the underwater recovery of drowning victims in the preceding calendar year shall be eligible for one thousand dollars in grant money; (4) Associations which had sixteen to twenty volunteer firefighters receive workers' compensation benefits from claims arising out of and in the course of the prevention or control of fire or the underwater recovery of drowning victims in the preceding calendar year shall be eligible for five hundred dollars in grant money. 4. Grant money disbursed under this section shall only be used for the purpose of paying for the workers' compensation insurance premiums of volunteer firefighters or for the benefit of a voluntary critical illness benefits pool.