Thursday, March 25, 2010
More info posted on HB2582
More information on HB2582 has been posted on the legislative page at www.ksapco.net, along with contact information for House and Senate Conference Committee Members. It is important that we contact these legislators with our views.
Senate Sub for HB2582
The latest version of the emergency communications bill being debated in legislature has been posted to the KSAPCO website. The bill is now called "Senate Sub for HB2582". I've posted a copy of the original bill, along with the Senate Journal for 3/24/10. The Senate amended the bill yesterday and passed it by a vote of 40 to 0. I'll allow the experts to comment and where it goes from here. You can read about the amendments in the Senate Journal.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
SB48 Update
From Legislative Chair Michele Abbott: KAC Legislative Update
The Senate Utilities Committee passed out SB 48 relating to 911 fees today, nearly six weeks after its hearing in the committee. An amendment was proposed today by Roger Reitz to raise the fee back to $.55 -- the Senate Committee had previously dropped the fee to $.50. Also added back in was collection of fees on prepaid phones at the point of retail, another provision that was previously deleted by the Senate Committee. The Senate Committee had in earlier weeks narrowed the uses for which the fee can be used, but today added a provision allowing the 911 Coordinating Council to authorize expenditures not otherwise allowed for PSAPs in counties with populations less than 10,000 -- this was intended to address concerns of hardship in small counties.
KAC remains concerned about provisions creating new state positions, and the elimination of the KAC and LKM as the Local Collection Point Administrator. The Senate bill creates a state coordinator and a state administrator and pays these positions from the state 911 grant funds. The bill allows the KAC and LKM to remain the LCPA until April 1, 2011, only four months after the new fee and distribution go into effect January 1, 2011. Thus, a new LCPA will need to be up and running and able to handle the 911 distribution next April; otherwise, distributions to PSAPs will be delayed. The bill continues the "911 Coordinating Council" which also appeared in the House bill. A complete summary and comparison of both the Senate and House bills will be forthcoming.
The Senate Utilities Committee passed out SB 48 relating to 911 fees today, nearly six weeks after its hearing in the committee. An amendment was proposed today by Roger Reitz to raise the fee back to $.55 -- the Senate Committee had previously dropped the fee to $.50. Also added back in was collection of fees on prepaid phones at the point of retail, another provision that was previously deleted by the Senate Committee. The Senate Committee had in earlier weeks narrowed the uses for which the fee can be used, but today added a provision allowing the 911 Coordinating Council to authorize expenditures not otherwise allowed for PSAPs in counties with populations less than 10,000 -- this was intended to address concerns of hardship in small counties.
KAC remains concerned about provisions creating new state positions, and the elimination of the KAC and LKM as the Local Collection Point Administrator. The Senate bill creates a state coordinator and a state administrator and pays these positions from the state 911 grant funds. The bill allows the KAC and LKM to remain the LCPA until April 1, 2011, only four months after the new fee and distribution go into effect January 1, 2011. Thus, a new LCPA will need to be up and running and able to handle the 911 distribution next April; otherwise, distributions to PSAPs will be delayed. The bill continues the "911 Coordinating Council" which also appeared in the House bill. A complete summary and comparison of both the Senate and House bills will be forthcoming.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Updates on Senate Bill 48
KSAPCO Legislative Committee Chairperson Michelle Abbott has provided an update on the status of Senate Bill 48 as well as spreadsheets that show monetary differences between the bill that passed in the House and the bill being proposed by the Senate. All information is available on the Legislative page at http://www.ksapco.net/legislation.html. Surf the page for "Update on SB48 - March 11, 2010".
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Conference Page updates
An initial listing of class offerings at the Spring2010 Conference has been added to the website. You can surf the listing at http://www.ksapco.net/spg10.html. Remember, April 5 is the cutoff date for the APCO Block of rooms at the conference hotel, so make your reservations soon! Not only is there a great conference being planned, but the 2009 Kansas Telecommunicator of the Year will be announced and recognized!
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