Authority: §§ 9.1-201, 9.1-206, and 27-94 through 27-99, Code of Virginia.

A. The State Fire Marshal may charge no fee for any permits or inspections of any school, whether it be public or private.

B. The Department of Fire Programs, in cooperation with the State Fire Marshal's Office, the Virginia Fire Services Board, the Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Board of Housing and Community Development, shall conduct an assessment of the fees charged by the State Fire Marshal's Office to conduct fire safety inspections. The assessment shall include a review of (i) existing inspection fees, (ii) the number of inspections conducted by fee category, (iii) the cost of conducting each inspection, and (iv) the total revenue from each fee category to determine whether there is a need to adjust the fees based on the market cost of conducting inspections. The Department of Fire Programs shall submit a report to the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees, and the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget, no later than October 17, 2026, that outlines the findings of the assessment and a joint recommendation from the Virginia Fire Services Board and the Board of Housing and Community Development on whether the fees should be adjusted or not, including a description of which fees, if any, are recommended for an increase based on the market cost and the projected additional fee revenue that would result from such recommended increase.