GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2005

S                                                                                                                                                     1

SENATE BILL 1008

Short Title:     911 Centers Fund Access.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Senators Hagan;  Atwater, Forrester, and Snow.
Referred to:	Commerce.

March 24, 2005

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to amend the public safety telephone act.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 62A‑3 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:

"(10) "Training" means any educational or other professional developmental resource that enhances the receipt, processing, and proficiency of emergency call taking and related call processing. This includes, but is not limited to, initial and (where applicable) recertification of such training. This also includes all associated cost of the training and related registrations, workbooks, manuals, software, and travel expenses."

SECTION 2.  G.S. 62A‑4(d) reads as rewritten:

"(d)      The ordinance shall fix a date on which it and the imposition and collection of the charges as provided in the ordinance shall become effective, but the effective date shall be at least 120 days following the initial date of adoption of such ordinance and at least 60 days for any changes to the ordinance by the governing authority of the local government."

SECTION 3.  G.S. 62A‑8(a) reads as rewritten:

"§ 62A‑8.  Payments from Fund.

(a)       Money from the Emergency Telephone System Fund shall be used only to pay for:

(1)       The lease, purchase, or maintenance of emergency telephone equipment, including necessary computer hardware, software and database provisioning, addressing, and nonrecurring costs of establishing a 911 system, and

(2)       The rates associated with the service supplier's 911 service and other service supplier recurring charges.

(3) Training, continuing education, certifications and recertification of PSAP staff and support personnel related to call intake and call processing of emergency calls for assistance (total annual allowable expenditure not to exceed two percent (2%) of the PSAP's total annual budget).

(4) The installation, maintenance and required upgrades for security and environmental health systems relating to the operations of the communications center, as it impacts the security of the PSAP and provides for the health and well-being of the communications staff (total annual allowable expenditure not to exceed three percent (3%) of the PSAP's total annual budget).

(b)       The following expenses are not eligible for payment from the Fund:  the lease or purchase of real estate, cosmetic remodeling of emergency dispatch centers, hiring, training, and compensating dispatchers, and the lease or purchase of mobile communications vehicles, ambulances, fire engines, or other emergency vehicles.

(c)       A local government may contract with a service supplier for any term negotiated by the service supplier and the local government and may make payments from the Emergency Telephone System Fund to provide any payments required by the contract."

SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2005.