An Act To Improve and Ensure Adequate Funding for E-9-1-1 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 State's E-9-1-1 service provides significant public safety benefits by enabling the public to dial 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency; and
Whereas, the State and the nation are preparing to migrate to the next evolutionary step in 9-1-1 service, known as Next Generation 9-1-1, which uses Internet protocol and will enable the public to send emergency communications to public safety answering points via text messaging, photographs, video and other data and will enhance the information available to public safety answering points and first responders for assessing and responding to emergencies; and
Whereas, incorporating text messaging and other media capabilities into the E-9-1-1 service will make it more accessible to the public, both for people with disabilities and for people in situations in which placing a voice call to 9-1-1 could be difficult or dangerous; and
Whereas, the E-9-1-1 service is funded by a surcharge on telephone lines; and
Whereas, the E-9-1-1 surcharge is established in statute and an increase in the E-9-1-1 surcharge is necessary to ensure that the surcharge amount going forward is consistent with expenditure needs; 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,
Sec. 1. 25 MRSA §2921, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 840, §3, is amended to read:
Sec. 2. 25 MRSA §2921, sub-§6-C is enacted to read:
Sec. 3. 25 MRSA §2926, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2003, c. 359, §2, is further amended to read:
Sec. 4. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§1-E, ¶A, as amended by PL 2009, c. 617, §8 and affected by §13, is further amended to read:
Sec. 5. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§1-F, ¶A, as amended by PL 2009, c. 617, §9 and affected by §13, is further amended to read:
Sec. 6. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§2-B, as amended by PL 2009, c. 400, §12 and affected by §15, is further amended to read:
Prepaid wireless E-9-1-1 surcharges collected by sellers must be remitted to the Treasurer of State in accordance with subsection 1-F, paragraph G.
Sec. 7. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2005, c. 303, §1, is further amended to read:
(1) That are approved by the bureau to be properly incurred for the implementation of E-9-1-1 technologies and procedures;
(2) That are not separately billed to customers; and
(3) For which the provider is not reimbursed from any other source.
The Public Utilities Commission, in consultation with the bureau, shall establish procedures for reviewing and approving expenses pursuant to paragraph B.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This bill takes initial steps to update the State's emergency services communications laws as the State and the nation prepare to migrate to the next evolutionary step in 9-1-1 service, increases the E-9-1-1 monthly surcharge by 5¢ and changes the E-9-1-1 surcharge remittance from monthly to quarterly for local exchange telephone utilities, cellular or wireless providers and interconnected voice over Internet protocol providers whose average monthly surcharge remittance payment for the prior calendar year is less than $5,000.