An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability Regarding Emergency Communications Services
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1813
Committee Amendment CA_A_H806 (House)
Amends: 25 MRSA §1531, 25 MRSA §2926, 25 MRSA §2927

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1297, L.D. 1813, Bill, "An Act To 
Implement the Recommendations of the Office of Program Evaluation and Government 
Accountability Regarding Emergency Communications Services" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act Relating to the Recommendations of the Office of Program Evaluation and 
Government Accountability Regarding Emergency Communications Services' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and 
inserting the following: 
'Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, in order to ensure the public safety and health and avoid confusion with 
regard to the E-9-1-1 surcharge, the provisions of this legislation must take effect as soon 
as possible; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 25 MRSA §1531, sub-§2, ~, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 678, §2, IS 
amended to read: 
E. 
A representative of participating municipalities with populations of less than 
5,000, selected from and recommended by the boards of selectmen, tovm councils or 
city councils of those municipalities Three representatives of municipalities 
recommended by a statewide association of municipalities and appointed by the 
Governor; 
Page I - 124LR2628(02)-1 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT A" to H.P. 1297, L.D. 1813 
Sec. 2. 25 MRSA §1531, sub-§2, ~, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 678, §2, is 
repealed. 
Sec. 3. 25 MRSA §1531, sub-§2, IIjfG, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 678, §2, is 
repealed. 
Sec. 4. 25 MRS A §1531, sub-§4, GflB, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 678, §2, is 
amended to read: 
B. The member 3 members representing municipalities "'lith populations of less than 
5,000 is serve for staggered terms, with one member appointed for a one~year term, 
the member representing municipalities v,'ith populations of 5,000 or more but less 
than 15,000 is one member appointed for a 2-year term and the member representing 
municipalities 'Nith populations of 15,000 or more is one member appointed for a 3-
year term; 
Sec. 5. 25 MRS A §1535, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 622, § 1, is amended to read: 
§1535. Fees for public safety answering point services and dispatch services 
The Public Utilities Commission may, on its own motion or at the request of the 
department or a political subdivision of the State, board, in accordance with this section, 
shall establish in an adjudicatory proceeding the fees that must be paid by political 
subdivisions for public safety answering point services and dispatch services provided by 
the department to those political subdivisions, including services provided pursuant to 
section 2923-A. 
In the proceeding, the commission shall establish the revenue 
requirement for the department's relevant dispatch and public safety answering point 
services and a fee design for the recovery of the department's revenue requirement to 
ensure the fees reasonably reflect services provided. In any proceeding held under this 
section, the department and all All political subdivisions that are to be provided public 
safety answering point services and dispatch services shall provide to the commission 
board all information the commission board detennines necessary in order to establish the 
fees. 
1. Fees. The board shall seek to establish fees under this section that are based on 
the incremental costs of providing public safety answering point services and dispatch 
services to political subdivisions. 
2. Base funding level. In order to determine incremental costs under subsection I, 
the board shall first establish a base funding level, consistent with the department's 
legislatively approved budget for public safety answering point services and dispatch 
services, required to provide public safety answering point services and dispatch services 
to State Government entities. The base funding level must be based on services provided 
by the department prior to the provision of emergency dispatch and E-9-1-1 call-taking 
services to municipal and county governments as a result of actions taken by the bureau 
under section 1533. The base funding level must be excluded by the board from its 
determination of incremental costs under subsection 1. 
Sec. 6. 25 MRSA §2926, sub-§l-A is enacted to read: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT A" to H.P. 1297, L.D. 1813 
I-A. 
Quality assurance. 
The bureau shall develop and implement a quality 
assurance program to audit and monitor compliance with emergency dispatching 
standards, practices and procedures of public safety answering points. 
Sec. 7. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§l-B, as repealed by PL 2009, c. 400, §6 and 
affected by § 15 and amended by c. 416, § I, is repealed. 
Sec. 8. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§l-E, ~A, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 400, §9 and 
affected by § 15, is amended to read: 
A. 
The statewide E-9-1-1 surcharge is ~ 
37¢ per month per line or number. 
Beginning July 1,20 I 0, the statewide E-9-1-1 surcharge is 45¢ per month per line or 
number. The statewide E-9-1-1 surcharge may not be imposed on more than 25 lines 
or numbers per customer billing account. 
Sec. 9. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§l-F, G[A, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 400, § 10 and 
affected by § 15, is amended to read: 
A. 
The prepaid wireless E-9-1-1 surcharge is ~ 
37¢ per retail transaction. 
Beginning July 1, 2010, the prepaid wireless E-9-1-1 surcharge is 45¢ per retail 
transaction. 
Sec. 10. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§3-B is enacted to read: 
3-B. Support of supervisory positions. Revenues in the E-9-1-1 fund may be used 
to fund 2 legislatively authorized supervisory positions relating to emergency dispatch 
and E-9-1-1 call-taking services provided by the department. 
This subsection is repealed on June 30,2011. 
Sec. 11. 25 MRS A §2927, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2009, c. 122, §6 and c. 
219, §3, is repealed and the following enacted in its place: 
5. 
Legislative annual report. The bureau shall include in the Public Utilities 
Commission's annual report pursuant to Title 35-A, section 120, subsection 7 to the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy 
matters: 
A. The bureau's planned expenditures for the year and use of funds for the previous 
year; 
B. The statewide E-9-1-1 surcharge collected under this section; 
C. The bureau's recommended statewide E-9-1-1 surcharge for the coming year; 
D. The bureau's recommendations for amending existing and enacting new law to 
improve the E-9-1-1 system; and 
E. The performance of each of the public safety answering points in the State during 
the previous calendar year, including the results of the bureau's quality assurance 
program audits under section 2926, subsection I-A and any recommendations of the 
bureau relating to the emergency dispatching standards, practices and procedures of 
public safety answering points. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1297, L.D. 1813 
Sec. 12. Transition. The terms of the 3 members of the Maine Communications 
System Policy Board who are first appointed under the section of this Act that amends the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 25, section 1531, subsection 2, paragraph E must be 
staggered, with one member appointed for a one-year term, one member appointed for a 
2-year term and one member appointed for a 3-year term. 
Sec. 13. Retroactivity; application. That section of this Act that repeals the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 25, section 2927, subsection I-B and those sections that 
amend Title 25, section 2927, subsections I-E and I-F apply retroactively to January I, 
10. The provisions of Title 25, section 2927, subsection I-F, paragraph F do not apply 
to that section of this Act that amends Title 25, section 2927, subsections I-F, paragraph 
A. 
Sec. 14. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION 
Emergency Services Communication Bureau 0994 
Initiative: Allocates funds for consulting services to implement an E-9-1-1 quality 
assurance program. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
2009-10 
$0 
$0 
2010-11 
$150,000 
$150,000 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill. The amendment: 
I. 
Modifies the makeup of the Maine Communications System Policy Board to 
provide that the 3 municipal members are nominated by a statewide municipal 
association. It removes the requirements that these members must represent towns of 
specific sizes and be participants in the cooperative use of the Department of Public 
Safety's communications systems; 
2. Removes the authority of the Public Utilities Commission to establish the fees that 
must be paid by political subdivisions for public safety answering point services and 
dispatch services provided by the Department of Public Safety. It gives this authority to 
the Maine Communications System Policy Board and directs the board to set fees based 
on the department's incremental costs of providing such services to political subdivisions; 
3. 
Directs the Public Utilities Commission, Emergency Services Communications 
Bureau to develop and implement a quality assurance program to audit and monitor 
compliance with emergency dispatching standards, practices and procedures of public 
safety answering points; 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ·A" to H.P. 1297, L.D. 1813 
4. 
Authorizes the use of the E-9-1-1 fund to support legislatively authorized 
supervisory positions relating to emergency dispatch and E-9-1-1 call-taking services 
provided by the Department of Public Safety until June 30,2011; 
5. Modifies the E-9-1-1 surcharge that is currently scheduled to increase to 52¢ on 
July I, 20 10 to provide that it increases to 45¢ instead; 
6. Corrects a conflict created when Public Law 2009, chapter 400 repealed the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 25, section 2927, subsection 1-8 and enacted related provisions in 
Title 25, section 2927, subsections I-E and I-F, and chapter 416 amended Title 25, 
section 2927, subsection 1-8. The conflict is corrected by repealing Title 25, section 
2927, subsection 1-8 and incorporating the changes to rates made by Public Law 2009, 
II 
chapter 416 in Title 25, section 2927, subsections l-E and I-F. 
The corrections are 
applied retroactively to January 1, 2010, the effective date of Public Law 2009, chapter 
400. The modification of the surcharge on prepaid wireless telecommunications service 
that will take effect on July 1, 2010 is exempted from a provision of law that provides 
that a change in that surcharge does not take effect until 60 days after enactment of the 
change; and 
7. Adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/26/1 0 Mac 
LD 1813 
LR 2628(02) 
An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Office of Program Evaluation and Government 
Accountability Regarding Emergency Communications Services 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ~" 
Committee: Utilities and Energy 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Projections 
Projections 
2009-10 
2010-11 
2011-12 
2012-13 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
$0 
$150,000 
$0 
$0 
Revenue 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
$0 
($1,462,200) 
($1,285,200) 
($1,285,200) 
Consolidated Emergency Communications Fund 
$0 
$177,000 
$0 
$0 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
The bill includes a one-time allocation of $150,000 to the Emergency Services Communication Bureau in the Public 
Utilities Commission for E-911 quality assurance consulting in fiscal year 2010-11. Reducing the E-911 surcharge 
from 52 cents to 45 cents will reduce revenue to the E-911 Fund by $1,285,200 beginning in fiscal year 2010-11. The 
Consolidated Emergency Communications Fund in the Department of Public Safety will receive $177,000 in fiscal 
year 2010-110nly from the E-911 Fund for two supervisory positions related to emergency dispatch and E-911 call-
taking services. The headcount and allocation for these positions already exists and is not reflected in this fiscal note. 
LR2628(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1 
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