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An Act To Enhance Availability of Emergency Telephone Services
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  25 MRSA §2921, sub-§5-A  is enacted to read:
5-A.  Enhanced 9-1-1 access-only service.   "Enhanced 9-1-1 access-only service" or "E-9-1-1 access-only service" means the provision of E-9-1-1 access to a residential telephone customer's premises when telephone service to the premises has been otherwise suspended or disconnected.
Sec. 2.  25 MRSA §2935  is enacted to read:
§ 2935. E-9-1-1 access-only service
1.  Provision of E-9-1-1 access-only service.   It is the policy of this State that E-9-1-1 be broadly available where it is economically and technologically practical. The bureau shall, by rule, establish requirements for the provision of E-9-1-1 access-only service, including, but not limited to, the circumstances in which E-9-1-1 access-only service is and is not required and which telephone service providers are and are not subject to the requirements.
2.  Rulemaking.   The bureau shall adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 3. Major substantive rulemaking; authority for legislation. Major substantive rules provisionally adopted pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 25, section 2935 must be submitted to the Legislature by January 15, 2008 for review by the Joint Standing Committee on Utilities and Energy during the Second Regular Session of the 123rd Legislature. In the rulemaking, the Public Utilities Commission, Emergency Services Communication Bureau shall, at a minimum, address the following issues:
1. E-9-1-1 system and database issues raised by E-9-1-1 access-only service, including, but not limited to, safety, accuracy, reliability and reporting of changes to the E-9-1-1 database;
2. The liability of telephone service providers with respect to E-9-1-1 access-only service;
3. Notification to customers regarding E-9-1-1 access-only service;
4. The duration of E-9-1-1 access-only service requirements;
5. Exceptions to E-9-1-1 access-only service requirements; and
6. Definitions of relevant terms.
Following its review of the major substantive rules, the Joint Standing Committee on Utilities and Energy is authorized to submit legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 123rd Legislature regarding E-9-1-1 access-only service.
Effective September 20, 2007