Subd. 1. Initiation.

1. (a) With the approval of the governing body of each applicable municipality, two or more relief associations associated with fire departments serving contiguous fire districts may initiate the consolidation of the relief associations into a subsequent relief association.
2. (b) Initiation of a consolidation action must occur through the proposal of a consolidation resolution to the board of trustees of each volunteer firefighters relief association notification of the relief association membership of the potential consolidation and after conducting a public meeting on the consolidation question.

Subd. 2. Initiative processing; filing.

1. (a) After a consolidation initiative resolution has been filed with the relief association board of trustees by one or more members of the board, the relief association secretary shall provide written notification of the initiative to the relief association membership. After notification of the relief association membership, the board of trustees must hold a public hearing on the initiative. After the hearing, the board of trustees shall act on the consolidation resolution.
2. (b) If the consolidation resolution is adopted by majority vote of the board of trustees, the secretary shall file a copy of the resolution with the other relief association or associations also considering consolidation.
3. (c) If two or more volunteer firefighters relief associations adopt a consolidation resolution, those relief associations are consolidated effective the next following January 1.
4. (d) Within 30 days of the adoption of the consolidation resolution by all prior relief associations, the secretaries of the applicable prior relief associations shall jointly notify in writing the state auditor, the commissioner of revenue, and the secretary of state of the consolidation.