S-3485.1          _______________________________________________

                                 SENATE BILL 6376

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1992 Regular Session

By Senator Thorsness

Read first time 01/27/92.  Referred to Committee on Energy & Utilities.

Providing funding priorities for enhanced 911.

     AN ACT Relating to funding priorities for the program to implement enhanced 911 emergency telephone service state-wide; adding a new section to chapter 38.52 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.      The legislature finds that with the passage of referendum 42 in 1991, the citizens of the state have chosen to fund the development of enhanced 911 emergency communications systems for state-wide coverage.  The legislature further finds that certain priorities need to be established for the distribution of the tax enacted through referendum 42.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 38.52 RCW to read as follows:

     In considering projects implementing enhanced 911 emergency communications systems throughout the state, the state enhanced 911 coordinator shall recommend to the director projects to fund from the state enhanced 911 excise tax authorized in RCW 82.14B.030(2) in the following order of priority:

     (1) Providing adequate staff for the state enhanced 911 coordination office;

     (2) Providing funding for unanticipated projects not specifically listed, but only after approval by rule under chapter 34.05 RCW;

     (3) Providing start-up funds for enhanced 911 emergency communications systems, with emphasis on addressing costs and data base development, with preference given to multicounty systems or other systems emphasizing regional efficiency;

     (4) Providing funds to purchase equipment for new enhanced 911 emergency communications systems, with preference given to

multicounty systems or other efficiently planned systems;

     (5) Providing funds for reimbursement of travel costs to members of the enhanced 911 advisory committee, but only if committee members are unable to receive reimbursement from other sources;

     (6) Providing funds for replacement equipment in existing enhanced 911 emergency communications systems;

     (7) Providing funds for new enhanced 911 emergency communications systems to receive enhanced 911 data services from local exchange telephone companies through tariffs authorized under WAC 480-120-340(3) as filed on January 10, 1992, in the Washington state register;

     (8) Providing other ongoing costs of new enhanced 911 emergency communications systems;

     (9) Providing other ongoing costs of existing enhanced 911 emergency communications systems.

     Funds may be expended for any project listed if the director finds that projects with a higher priority are not adequately developed for implementation in the appropriate budget period.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.      If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.