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An Act To Promote Public Safety Answering Point Efficiency
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  25 MRSA §2925, sub-§6, ¶D  is enacted to read:
 
D.  The council shall assist the bureau in responding to and resolving service-related complaints and issues regarding the E-9-1-1 system.
Sec. 2. 25 MRSA §2926, sub-§2-A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 359, §3, is amended to read:
 
2-A. Goal. To the extent possible, the bureau shall establish a total of between 16 and 24 public service answering points. The bureau shall seek to coordinate any reduction in the number of public service answering points to achieve this goal with any contractual obligations it may have or may enter into that are or could be affected by that reduction. Prior to implementing a reduction in the number of public safety answering points, the bureau shall make a finding regarding the need for the reduction based on an evaluation of the costs and benefits of the reduction, taking into account impacts on ratepayers, each of the affected municipalities and the State.
Sec. 3. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§5, as amended by PL 1997, c. 409, §1, is further amended to read:
 
5. Legislative annual report. The bureau shall report annually, before February 1st, to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters on:
 
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; and
 
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.
Sec. 4. Report regarding public safety answering points and E-9-1-1 system. No later than February 1, 2010, the Public Utilities Commission, Emergency Services Communication Bureau shall prepare and submit to the Joint Standing Committee on Utilities and Energy a report on:
1. The optimum configuration of public safety answering points in the State, taking into account:
A. Total E-9-1-1 system needs and costs, including, but not limited to, needs and costs related to system operations, maintenance, training, back-up system capacity and staffing levels, including answering position units or seats;
B. Forecasted total system costs, including direct and indirect costs, under the optimum configuration; and
C. Established formulas and models of optimum call-taker staffing for public safety answering points, including, but not limited to, the minimum call-taker, or call answerer, staffing model presented in the 1980 report "Design and Costing of 911 Systems - A Technical Manual - Final Report" commissioned by the United States Department of Justice;
2. The implementation and regulation of the optimum configuration of public safety answering points, including the regulation of changes to public safety answering point locations initiated by municipalities, taking into consideration the cost implications for municipalities and the State; and
3. The benefits and consequences of expanding the statewide E-9-1-1 surcharge to fund all E-9-1-1 system costs, including operation and maintenance expenses that are currently funded through county assessments and fees from the political subdivisions, and the projected increase in the E-9-1-1 surcharge required to fund all system costs.
After receipt and review of the report required under this section, the Joint Standing Committee on Utilities and Energy may submit legislation relating to the report to the Second Regular Session of the 124th Legislature.
Sec. 5. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
 
Emergency Services Communication Bureau 0994
 
Initiative: Provides funds for a study on the optimum configuration of public safety answering points.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2009-10	2010-11	
All Other	$300,000	$0	
			
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	$300,000	$0	

Effective September 12, 2009