SENATE BILL REPORT

                                    SB 6376

                            AS OF JANUARY 30, 1992

Brief Description:  Providing funding priorities for enhanced 911.

SPONSORS: Senator Thorsness

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY & UTILITIES

Staff:  Phil Moeller (786‑7445)

Hearing Dates: January 30, 1992

BACKGROUND:

Enhanced 911 (E 911) is a system that allows the person answering an incoming emergency call to identify the location of the person making the call.  This information is especially valuable when the caller either cannot speak or cannot accurately describe their location.

Although the most heavily populated counties in the state have developed E 911 systems, most of the geographic area of the state lacks access to E 911.  The citizens of the state chose to develop a statewide system of E 911 when they adopted Referendum 42 in November, 1991.

Referendum 42 provides basic direction to the Emergency Management Division of the Department of Community Development to develop E 911 statewide, but provides no specific direction on program direction or funding priorities.

SUMMARY:

The state enhanced 911 coordinator shall recommend funding projects from the E 911 excise tax in the following order:  staffing the state E 911 coordination office; unanticipated projects, after approval by rule; start-up funds for E 911 systems, with emphasis on addressing costs and data base development, and equipment for new E 911 systems, with preference given to multicounty systems; travel costs of the members of the E 911 advisory committee; replacement equipment in existing E 911 systems; costs of receiving E 911 data services from local exchange telecommunications companies; ongoing costs of new E 911 systems; and ongoing costs of existing E 911 systems.

Funds may be expended on lower-priority projects if the director of DCD finds that other projects are not adequately developed for implementation in the appropriate budget period.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested