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.