Bill > H2131

This bill establishes a dedicated "State Fire Marshal Fireworks Fund" to cover operating costs, capital improvements, and equipment for fireworks-related activities, funded by fees, fines, and other revenues, with a fireworks permit fee capped at $25. It also revises the definition of "fireworks" to include materials classified as 1.4G by the U.S. Department of Transportation, blank cartridges, toy cannons using explosives, and certain toy balloons, while excluding specific toy items like paper or plastic caps with minimal explosive content, and outlines penalties for illegal use, including fines of $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for subsequent offenses, with seized fireworks subject to forfeiture. Furthermore, the bill allows cities and towns to authorize their fire departments to grant permits for supervised fireworks displays by individuals over 18, with exceptions for sparklers under 3 feet and novelty poppers, and also permits these municipalities to issue sales licenses to wholesale dealers and retailers for fireworks sold to individuals 18 and older, with specific storage requirements for licensed sellers, and mandates that all fines collected from violations of these provisions will be deposited into the newly created fund.