An Act Relating to the Recommendations of the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability Regarding Emergency Communications Services
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 E911 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,
Sec. 1. 25 MRSA §1531, sub-§2, ¶E, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 678, §2, is amended to read:
Sec. 2. 25 MRSA §1531, sub-§2, ¶F, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 678, §2, is repealed.
Sec. 3. 25 MRSA §1531, sub-§2, ¶G, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 678, §2, is repealed.
Sec. 4. 25 MRSA §1531, sub-§4, ¶B, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 678, §2, is amended to read:
Sec. 5. 25 MRSA §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 2923A. 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 determines necessary in order to establish the fees.
Sec. 6. 25 MRSA §2926, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
Sec. 7. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§1-B, as repealed by PL 2009, c. 400, §6 and affected by §15 and amended by c. 416, §1, is repealed.
Sec. 8. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§1-E, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 400, §9 and affected by §15, is amended to read:
Sec. 9. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§1-F, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 400, §10 and affected by §15, is amended to read:
Sec. 10. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§3-B is enacted to read:
This subsection is repealed on June 30, 2011.
Sec. 11. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2009, c. 122, §6 and c. 219, §3, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
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 1B and those sections that amend Title 25, section 2927, subsections 1E and 1F apply retroactively to January 1, 2010. The provisions of Title 25, section 2927, subsection 1F, paragraph F do not apply to that section of this Act that amends Title 25, section 2927, subsection 1F, 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 E911 quality assurance program.
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
|
All Other
|
$0 | $150,000 |
 |
|
|
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL | $0 | $150,000 |
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.