Bill Text: CT SB00312 | 2010 | General Assembly | Comm Sub
Bill Title: An Act Mandating The Regionalization Of Certain Public Safety Emergency Telecommunications Centers And A Study Of Consolidation.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-1)
Status: (Vetoed) 2010-06-08 - Vetoed by the Governor [SB00312 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2010-SB00312-Comm_Sub.html
General Assembly |
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February Session, 2010 |
*_____SB00312PS____030910____* |
AN ACT MANDATING THE REGIONALIZATION OF PUBLIC SAFETY EMERGENCY TELECOMMUNICATION CENTERS AND A STUDY OF CONSOLIDATION.
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 Section 28-24 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2010):
(a) There is established an Office of State-Wide Emergency Telecommunications which shall be in the Division of Fire, Emergency and Building Services within the Department of Public Safety. 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 Public Safety 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 or after July 1, 2016, such answering point is part of a regional public safety emergency telecommunications center; (B) the subsidization of regional public safety emergency telecommunications centers, with enhanced subsidization for municipalities with a population in excess of forty thousand; (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;
(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; and
(7) Review and make recommendations to the General Assembly concerning emergency service telecommunications funding.
(b) The Commissioner of Public Safety 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, except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, (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 subparagraphs (A) and (B) 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, and (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. The commissioner shall communicate the commissioner's findings to the chairperson of the Public Utilities Control Authority not later than April first of each year.
(d) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016, and each fiscal year thereafter, any municipality that has not joined with two or more other municipalities to form a regional emergency telecommunications center shall not be eligible to receive any funds pursuant to this section.
[(d)] (e) 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)] (f) The office shall work in cooperation with the Department of Public Utility Control 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 October 1, 2010):
(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)] (e) of section 28-24, as amended by this act, and fees assessed against subscribers of local telephone service and subscribers of commercial mobile radio services, pursuant to section 16-256g. 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. (Effective from passage) (a) The Office of State-Wide Emergency Telecommunications shall conduct a study to determine the optimal arrangement of public safety answering points, including, but not limited to, which number of answering points would achieve the most cost-effective and efficient use of resources, which answering points should be consolidated, what consolidation of police, fire, emergency medical services and any related services is necessary and any and all costs associated with all aspects of consolidation, including municipal and state costs. Such study shall be paid for out of the Enhanced 9-1-1 Telecommunications Fund.
(b) The Office of State-Wide Emergency Telecommunications shall, not later than July 1, 2011, submit a report containing the findings of said study to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public safety, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
October 1, 2010 |
28-24 |
Sec. 2 |
October 1, 2010 |
28-30a(a) |
Sec. 3 |
from passage |
New section |
PS |
Joint Favorable Subst. |