_____________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE
SENATE BILL 5335
_____________________________________________
Passed
Legislature ‑ 2001 Regular Session
State
of Washington 57th Legislature 2001 Regular Session
By
READ
FIRST TIME 02/15/01.
Revising the authority of the statewide enhanced 911
program to support the statewide enhanced 911 system.
AN
ACT Relating to the authority of the statewide enhanced 911 program to support
the statewide enhanced 911 system; amending RCW 38.52.540; adding a new section
to chapter 38.52 RCW; creating a new section; providing an effective date; and
declaring an emergency.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 1. The
legislature finds that the statewide emergency communications network of
enhanced 911 telephone service, which allows an immediate display of a caller's
identification and location, has served to further the safety, health, and
welfare of the state's citizens, and has saved lives.
The
legislature further finds that statewide operation and management of the
enhanced 911 system will create efficiencies of operation and permit greater
local control of county 911 operations, and further that some counties will
continue to need assistance from the state to maintain minimum enhanced 911
service levels.
Sec.
2. RCW
38.52.540 and 1998 c 304 s 14 are each amended to read as follows:
The
enhanced 911 account is created in the state treasury. All receipts from the
state enhanced 911 excise tax imposed by RCW 82.14B.030 shall be deposited into
the account. Moneys in the account shall be used only to ((help implement
and operate enhanced 911 statewide. Moneys in the account may be used to
provide salary assistance on a temporary basis not to exceed three years to
counties with a population of less than seventy-five thousand that need
additional resources to cover unfunded costs that can be shown to result from
handling 911 calls. Moneys in the account may be used to assist multicounty
regions, including ongoing salary assistance for multicounty regions consisting
of counties with populations of less than seventy-five thousand. However,))
support the statewide coordination and management of the enhanced 911 system
and to help supplement, within available funds, the operational costs of the
system. Funds shall not be distributed to any county that has not imposed
the maximum county enhanced 911 taxes allowed under RCW 82.14B.030 (1) and
(2). The state enhanced 911 coordinator, with the advice and assistance of the
enhanced 911 advisory committee, is authorized to enter into statewide
agreements to improve the efficiency of enhanced 911 services for all counties
and shall specify by rule the additional purposes for which moneys,
if available, may be expended from this account.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 3. A
new section is added to chapter 38.52 RCW to read as follows:
In
specifying rules defining the purposes for which available moneys may be
expended, the state enhanced 911 coordinator, with the advice and assistance of
the enhanced 911 advisory committee, shall consider base needs of individual
counties for specific assistance. Priorities for available enhanced 911
funding are as follows: (1) To assure that 911 dialing is operational
statewide; (2) to assist counties as necessary to assure that they can achieve
a basic service level for 911 operations; and (3) to assist counties as
practicable to acquire items of a capital nature appropriate to increasing 911
effectiveness.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 4. This
act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or
safety, or support of the state government and its existing public
institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2001.
Passed the House April 9, 2001.
Approved by the Governor
April 27, 2001.
Filed
in Office of Secretary of State April 27, 2001.
