FL Stat § 365.173 (2021)
2021 Florida Statutes|Title XXVII - Railroads and Other Regulated Utilities|Chapter 365 - Use of Telephones and Facsimile Machines|365.173 - Communications Number E911 System Fund.

365.173 Communications Number E911 System Fund.—(1) REVENUES.—(a) Revenues derived from the fee levied on subscribers under s. 365.172(8) must be paid by the board into the State Treasury on or before the 15th day of each month. Such moneys must be accounted for in a special fund to be designated as the Emergency Communications Number E911 System Fund, a fund created in the Division of Telecommunications, or other office as designated by the Secretary of Management Services.(b) Revenues derived from the fee levied on prepaid wireless service under s. 365.172(9), less the costs of administering collection of the fee, must be transferred by the Department of Revenue to the Emergency Communications Number E911 System Fund on or before the 25th day of each month following the month of receipt.(c) For accounting purposes, the Emergency Communications Number E911 System Fund must be segregated into three separate categories:1. The wireless category;2. The nonwireless category; and3. The prepaid wireless category.(d) All moneys must be invested by the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to s. 17.61. All moneys in such fund are to be expended by the office for the purposes provided in this section and s. 365.172. These funds are not subject to s. 215.20.(2) DISTRIBUTION AND USE OF FUNDS.—As determined by the board pursuant to s. 365.172(8)(g), and subject to any modifications approved by the board pursuant to s. 365.172(6)(a)3. or (8)(h), the moneys in the fund shall be distributed and used only as follows:(a) Seventy-six percent of the moneys in the wireless category shall be distributed each month to counties, based on the total number of service identifiers in each county, and shall be used exclusively for payment of:1. Authorized expenditures, as specified in s. 365.172(10).2. Costs to comply with the requirements for E911 service contained in the order and any future rules related to the order.(b) Ninety-six percent of the moneys in the nonwireless category shall be distributed each month to counties based on the total number of service identifiers in each county and shall be used exclusively for payment of authorized expenditures, as specified in s. 365.172(10).(c) Sixty-one percent of the moneys in the prepaid wireless category shall be distributed each month to counties based on the total amount of fees reported and paid in each county and shall be used exclusively for payment of authorized expenditures, as specified in s. 365.172(10). The moneys from prepaid wireless E911 fees identified as nonspecific in accordance with s. 365.172(9) shall be distributed as determined by the E911 Board.(d) Any county that receives funds under paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) shall establish a fund to be used exclusively for the receipt and expenditure of the revenues collected under paragraphs (a), (b), and (c). All fees placed in the fund and any interest accrued shall be used solely for costs described in subparagraphs (a)1. and 2. and may not be reduced, withheld, or allocated for other purposes. The money collected and interest earned in this fund shall be appropriated for these purposes by the county commissioners and incorporated into the annual county budget. The fund shall be included within the financial audit performed in accordance with s. 218.39. The financial audit shall assure that all E911 fee revenues, interest, and E911 grant funding are used for payment of authorized expenditures, as specified in s. 365.172(10) and as specified in the E911 Board grant and special disbursement programs. The county is responsible for all expenditures of revenues distributed from the county E911 fund and shall submit the financial audit reports to the board for review. A county may carry forward up to 30 percent of the total funds disbursed to the county by the board during a county fiscal year for expenditures for capital outlay, capital improvements, equipment replacement, or implementation of a hosted system if such expenditures are made for the purposes specified in subparagraphs (a)1. and 2.; however, the 30-percent limitation does not apply to funds disbursed to a county under s. 365.172(6)(a)3., and a county may carry forward any percentage of the funds, except that any grant provided shall continue to be subject to any condition imposed by the board. In order to prevent an excess recovery of costs incurred in providing E911 service, a county that receives funds greater than the permissible E911 costs described in s. 365.172(10), including the 30-percent carryforward allowance, must return the excess funds to the E911 board to be allocated under s. 365.172(6)(a).(e) Twenty percent of the moneys in the wireless category shall be distributed to wireless providers in response to sworn invoices submitted to the board by wireless providers to reimburse such wireless providers for the actual costs incurred to provide 911 or E911 service, including the costs of complying with the order. Such costs include costs and expenses incurred by wireless providers to design, purchase, lease, program, install, test, upgrade, operate, and maintain all necessary data, hardware, and software required to provide E911 service. Each wireless provider shall submit to the board, by August 1 of each year, a detailed estimate of the capital and operating expenses for which it anticipates that it will seek reimbursement under this paragraph during the ensuing state fiscal year. In order to be eligible for recovery during any ensuing state fiscal year, a wireless provider must submit all sworn invoices for allowable purchases made within the previous calendar year no later than March 31 of the fiscal year. By September 15 of each year, the board shall submit to the Legislature its legislative budget request for funds to be allocated to wireless providers under this paragraph during the ensuing state fiscal year. The budget request shall be based on the information submitted by the wireless providers and estimated surcharge revenues. Distributions of moneys in the fund by the board to wireless providers must be fair and nondiscriminatory. If the total amount of moneys requested by wireless providers pursuant to invoices submitted to the board and approved for payment exceeds the amount in the fund in any month, wireless providers that have invoices approved for payment shall receive a pro rata share of moneys in the fund and the balance of the payments shall be carried over to the following month or months until all of the approved payments are made. The board may adopt rules necessary to address the manner in which pro rata distributions are made when the total amount of funds requested by wireless providers pursuant to invoices submitted to the board exceeds the total amount of moneys on deposit in the fund.(f) One percent of the moneys in each category of the fund shall be retained by the board to be applied to costs and expenses incurred for the purposes of managing, administering, and overseeing the receipts and disbursements from the fund and other activities as defined in s. 365.172(6). Any funds retained for such purposes in a calendar year which are not applied to such costs and expenses by March 31 of the following year shall be redistributed as determined by the board.(g) Three percent of the moneys in each category of the fund shall be used to make monthly distributions to rural counties for the purpose of providing facilities and network and service enhancements and assistance for the 911 or E911 systems operated by rural counties and for the provision of grants by the office to rural counties for upgrading and replacing E911 systems.(h) Thirty-five percent of the moneys in the prepaid wireless category shall be retained by the board to provide state E911 grants to be awarded in accordance with the following order of priority:1. For all large, medium, and rural counties to upgrade or replace E911 systems.2. For all large, medium, and rural counties to develop and maintain statewide 911 routing, geographic, and management information systems.3. For all large, medium, and rural counties to develop and maintain next-generation 911 services and equipment.(i) If the wireless category has funds remaining in it on December 31 after disbursements have been made during the calendar year immediately prior to December 31, the board may disburse the excess funds in the wireless category in accordance with s. 365.172(6)(a)3.b.(3) The Legislature recognizes that the fee authorized under s. 365.172 may not necessarily provide the total funding required for establishing or providing the E911 service. It is the intent of the Legislature that all revenue from the fee be used as specified in subsection (2).History.—s. 1, ch. 99-203; s. 50, ch. 2000-158; s. 3, ch. 2001-133; s. 2, ch. 2003-182; s. 379, ch. 2003-261; s. 5, ch. 2005-171; s. 1, ch. 2007-79; s. 2, ch. 2010-50; s. 7, ch. 2011-52; s. 2, ch. 2014-196; s. 24, ch. 2019-118; s. 10, ch. 2020-161.