Bill Text: CT HB06970 | 2015 | General Assembly | Comm Sub
Bill Title: An Act Concerning The Consolidation Of Public Safety Answering Points.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-04-01 - File Number 388 [HB06970 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2015-HB06970-Comm_Sub.html
General Assembly |
||
January Session, 2015 |
*_____HB06970PS____031915____* |
AN ACT CONCERNING THE CONSOLIDATION OF PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 28-24 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2018):
(a) There is established an Office of State-Wide Emergency Telecommunications which shall be within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. The Office of State-Wide Emergency Telecommunications shall be responsible for developing and maintaining a state-wide emergency service telecommunications policy. In connection with said policy, the office shall:
(1) Develop a state-wide emergency service telecommunications plan specifying emergency police, fire and medical service telecommunications systems needed to provide coordinated emergency service telecommunications to all state residents, including the physically disabled;
(2) Pursuant to the recommendations of the task force established by public act 95-318 to study enhanced 9-1-1 telecommunications services, and in accordance with regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, develop and administer, by July 1, 1997, an enhanced emergency 9-1-1 program, which shall provide for: (A) The replacement of existing 9-1-1 terminal equipment for each public safety answering point, provided, on and after July 1, 2018, if such public safety answering point serves a population of less than forty thousand, such public safety answering point shall be part of a regional emergency telecommunications center or part of a multitown public safety answering point; (B) the subsidization of regional [public safety] emergency telecommunications centers [, with enhanced subsidization for municipalities with a population in excess of forty thousand] and multitown public safety answering points; (C) the establishment of a transition grant program to encourage regionalization of public safety telecommunications centers; and (D) the establishment of a regional emergency telecommunications service credit in order to support regional dispatch services. For the purposes of this section, "regional emergency telecommunications center" means any entity authorized by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection as a public safety answering point that is responsible for receiving and processing 9-1-1 calls for at least three municipalities and serves a combined population of forty thousand or more, as determined by the most recent population estimate by the Department of Public Health, and "multitown public safety answering point" means any entity authorized by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection as a public safety answering point that is responsible for receiving and processing 9-1-1 calls for two municipalities and serves a combined population of forty thousand or more, as determined by the most recent population estimate by the Department of Public Health;
(3) Provide technical telecommunications assistance to state and local police, fire and emergency medical service agencies;
(4) Provide frequency coordination for such agencies;
(5) Coordinate and assist in state-wide planning for 9-1-1 and E 9-1-1 systems;
(6) Review and make recommendations concerning proposed legislation affecting emergency service telecommunications;
(7) Review and make recommendations to the General Assembly concerning emergency service telecommunications funding; and
(8) On or before January first of each year, prepare the annual budget for the use of funds from the Enhanced 9-1-1 Telecommunications Fund and submit such budget to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management for the secretary's review and approval. On or before January fifteenth of each year, said secretary shall submit a report concerning the proposed use of such funds to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, finance, revenue and bonding, and public safety in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.
(b) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, establishing eligibility standards for state financial assistance to local or regional police, fire and emergency medical service agencies providing emergency service telecommunications. Not later than April 1, 1997, the commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, in order to carry out the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section.
(c) Within a time period determined by the commissioner to ensure the availability of funds for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1997, to the regional [public safety] emergency telecommunications centers within the state, and not later than April first of each year thereafter, the commissioner shall determine the amount of funding needed for the development and administration of the enhanced emergency 9-1-1 program. The commissioner shall specify the expenses associated with (1) the purchase, installation and maintenance of new public safety answering point terminal equipment, (2) the implementation of the subsidy program, as described in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, (3) the implementation of the transition grant program, described in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, (4) the implementation of the regional emergency telecommunications service credit, as described in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, provided, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, and each fiscal year thereafter, such credit for coordinated medical emergency direction services as provided in regulations adopted under this section shall be based upon the factor of thirty cents per capita and shall not be reduced each year, (5) the training of personnel, as necessary, (6) recurring expenses and future capital costs associated with the telecommunications network used to provide emergency 9-1-1 service and the public safety services data networks, (7) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, and each fiscal year thereafter, the collection, maintenance and reporting of emergency medical services data, as required under subparagraph (A) of subdivision (8) of section 19a-177, provided the amount of expenses specified under this subdivision shall not exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars in any fiscal year, (8) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, and each fiscal year thereafter, the initial training of emergency medical dispatch personnel, the provision of an emergency medical dispatch priority reference card set and emergency medical dispatch training and continuing education pursuant to subdivisions (3) and (4) of subsection (g) of section 28-25b, (9) the administration of the enhanced emergency 9-1-1 program by the Office of State-Wide Emergency Telecommunications, as the commissioner determines to be reasonably necessary, and (10) the implementation and maintenance of the public safety data network established pursuant to section 29-1j. The commissioner shall communicate the commissioner's findings to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority not later than April first of each year.
(d) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, and each fiscal year thereafter, any public safety answering point that serves a population of less than forty thousand that is not part of a regional emergency telecommunications center or part of a multitown public safety answering point shall not be eligible to receive any funds pursuant to this section.
(e) (1) If a public safety answering point does not serve a population of forty thousand or more on or after July 1, 2018, such public safety answering point shall reimburse the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection the cost of replacing and maintaining 9-1-1 terminal equipment and the costs associated with the initial training of emergency medical dispatch personnel, an emergency medical dispatch priority reference card set and emergency medical dispatch training and continuing education pursuant to subdivisions (3) and (4) of subsection (g) of section 28-25b. Such public safety answering point shall only receive 9-1-1 terminal equipment, maintenance and training as provided or approved by the department.
(2) Any moneys received by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be deposited into the General Fund and shall be credited to the regional emergency telecommunications center account.
(3) There is established an account to be known as the "regional emergency telecommunications center account" which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the General Fund. The account shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account. Moneys in the account shall be expended by the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection for the purposes of subsidizing regional emergency telecommunications centers and multitown public safety answering points on a per capita basis.
[(d)] (f) The office may apply for, receive and distribute any federal funds available for emergency service telecommunications. The office shall deposit such federal funds in the Enhanced 9-1-1 Telecommunications Fund established by section 28-30a, as amended by this act.
[(e)] (g) The office shall work in cooperation with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to carry out the purposes of this section.
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 28-30a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2018):
(a) There is established a fund to be known as the "Enhanced 9-1-1 Telecommunications Fund". The fund shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the fund, including, but not limited to, any federal funds collected pursuant to subsection [(d)] (f) of section 28-24, as amended by this act, fees assessed against subscribers of local telephone service and subscribers of commercial mobile radio services pursuant to section 16-256g and prepaid wireless E 9-1-1 fees collected pursuant to section 28-30e. The Enhanced 9-1-1 Telecommunications Fund shall be held separate and apart from all other moneys, funds and accounts. Interest derived from the investment of the fund shall be credited to the assets of the fund. Any balance remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year shall be carried forward in the fund for the fiscal year next succeeding.
Sec. 3. Section 4-124s of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):
(a) For the purposes of this section:
(1) "Regional council of governments" means any such council organized under the provisions of sections 4-124i to 4-124p, inclusive;
(2) "Municipality" means a town, city or consolidated town and borough;
(3) "Legislative body" means the board of selectmen, town council, city council, board of alderman, board of directors, board of representatives or board of the warden and burgesses of a municipality; [and]
(4) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management or the designee of the secretary; [.]
(5) "Regional emergency telecommunications center" means any entity authorized by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection as a public safety answering point that is responsible for receiving and processing 9-1-1 calls for at least three municipalities and serves a combined population of forty thousand or more, as determined by the most recent population estimate by the Department of Public Health;
(6) "Multitown public safety answering point" means any entity authorized by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection as a public safety answering point that is responsible for receiving and processing 9-1-1 calls for two municipalities and serves a combined population of forty thousand or more, as determined by the most recent population estimate by the Department of Public Health; and
(7) "Public safety answering point" has the same meaning as provided in section 28-25.
(b) There is established a regional performance incentive program that shall be administered by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management. On or before December 31, 2011, and annually thereafter, any regional council of governments, any two or more municipalities acting through a regional council of governments, any economic development district or any combination thereof may submit a proposal to the secretary for: (1) The joint provision of any service that one or more participating municipalities of such council or agency currently provide but which is not provided on a regional basis, (2) a planning study regarding the joint provision of any service on a regional basis, or (3) shared information technology services. A copy of said proposal shall be sent to the legislators representing said participating municipalities.
(c) (1) A regional council of governments or an economic development district shall submit each proposal in the form and manner the secretary prescribes and shall, at a minimum, provide the following information for each proposal: (A) Service description; (B) the explanation of the need for such service; (C) the method of delivering such service on a regional basis; (D) the organization that would be responsible for regional service delivery; (E) a description of the population that would be served; (F) the manner in which regional service delivery will achieve economies of scale; (G) the amount by which participating municipalities will reduce their mill rates as a result of savings realized; (H) a cost benefit analysis for the provision of the service by each participating municipality and by the entity submitting the proposal; (I) a plan of implementation for delivery of the service on a regional basis; (J) a resolution endorsing such proposal approved by the legislative body of each participating municipality; and (K) an explanation of the potential legal obstacles, if any, to the regional provision of the service.
(2) The secretary shall review each proposal and shall award grants for proposals the secretary determines best meet the requirements of this section. In awarding such grants, the secretary shall give priority to a proposal submitted by (A) any entity specified in subsection (a) of this section that includes participation of all of the member municipalities of such entity, and which may increase the purchasing power of participating municipalities or provide a cost savings initiative resulting in a decrease in expenses of such municipalities, allowing such municipalities to lower property taxes, and (B) any economic development district.
(d) On or before December 31, 2013, and annually thereafter, in addition to any proposal submitted pursuant to this section, any municipality or regional council of governments may apply to the secretary for a grant to fund: (1) Operating costs associated with connecting to the state-wide high speed, flexible network developed pursuant to section 4d-80, including the costs to connect at the same rate as other government entities served by such network; and (2) capital cost associated with connecting to such network, including expenses associated with building out the internal fiber network connections required to connect to such network, provided the secretary shall make any such grant available in accordance with the two-year schedule by which the Bureau of Enterprise Systems and Technology recommends connecting each municipality and regional council of governments to such network. Any municipality or regional council of governments shall submit each application in the form and manner the secretary prescribes.
(e) On or before December 31, 2015, and annually thereafter, any two or more municipalities establishing a regional emergency telecommunications center or multitown public safety answering point may apply to the secretary for a grant to fund operating costs associated with transitioning an existing public safety answering point to a regional emergency telecommunications center or multitown public safety answering point. Such municipalities shall submit such application in such form and manner as the secretary prescribes.
[(e)] (f) The secretary shall submit to the Governor and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to finance, revenue and bonding a report on the grants provided pursuant to this section. Each such report shall include information on the amount of each grant, and the potential of each grant for leveraging other public and private investments. The secretary shall submit a report for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2011, not later than February 1, 2012, and shall submit a report for each subsequent fiscal year not later than the first day of March in such fiscal year. Such reports shall include the property tax reductions achieved by means of the program established pursuant to this section.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
January 1, 2018 |
28-24 |
Sec. 2 |
January 1, 2018 |
28-30a(a) |
Sec. 3 |
October 1, 2015 |
4-124s |
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
The title was changed for accuracy.
PS |
Joint Favorable Subst. |