Resolve, Regarding Emergency Communications Services

Emergency preamble. Whereas,  acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and

Whereas,  the activities relating to emergency communications services required under this legislation need to be undertaken as soon as possible; and

Whereas,  in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore, be it

Sec. 1. Report for Optimum PSAP Reconfiguration Assessment. Resolved: That the Legislature finds the recommendations contained in the January 2010 Report for Optimum PSAP Reconfiguration Assessment, referred to in this resolve as "the Kimball report," submitted to the State by L. R. Kimball under a contract with the Emergency Service Communications Bureau, referred to in this resolve as "the bureau," meet the requirements of Public Law 2009, chapter 219 and are reasonable and a plan for implementing those recommendations should be developed; and be it further

Sec. 2. Actions to implement the Kimball report. Resolved: That the bureau shall, in consultation with public safety answering points and other interested entities, develop a plan for achieving the 15 to 17 public safety answering point configuration proposed in the Kimball report. The bureau, in developing the plan, shall examine the issues raised in the Kimball report, including issues relating to system fragmentation and the separation of E911 call processing and dispatch functions; the transfer of E911 calls and the absence of key E911 features at dispatch-only facilities; the routing of E911 wireless telephone calls; rate shopping and cost shifting; and the lack of collaboration among state, county and local agencies. The plan must address how appropriate consolidation studies should be conducted and funded, how appropriate consolidation incentives may be designed and implemented and how consolidation may be coordinated with the development of "Next Generation 911" as identified in the Kimball report; and be it further

Sec. 3. Report. Resolved: That the Emergency Service Communications Bureau shall submit its plan, together with any recommendations relating to the plan, including draft legislation to implement any recommendations for changes to law, to the Joint Standing Committee on Utilities and Energy by November 1, 2010.

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.