HF 2254 – 911 emergency telephone systems.
FLOOR ACTION:
HF 2254 makes changes to the 911 emergency telephone communication systems. During the 2017 session, SF 500 required Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department (HSEMD) to design a plan for merging 911 wire-line and wireless 911 Next Generation Networks and determine potential cost savings.
The bill eliminates the wire-line network and creates a shared service environment to be run by HSEMD. Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) could voluntarily opt to use the shared service. PSAPs potentially could save $6.6 million in local expenses. HSEMD will fund projects out of the existing 40 percent wireless revenues. The bill removes the current $7 million cap from carryover, effectively zeroing out and passing through the operating surplus to local service boards every fiscal year. There is no change to how the 911 wire-line surcharge is collected or distributed, or how the 911 wireless surcharge fund formula is distributed to the local PSAPs.
The bill passed the Iowa House 98-0.
[3/27: 47-0 (Excused: Bertrand, Zumbach; Vacant: Dix]