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Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
‘An Act To Reduce the Amount of the E-9-1-1 Surcharge and To Create a Grant Program To Assist with Dispatch Center Consolidation’
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§1-E, ¶A, as amended by PL 2009, c. 617, §8 and affected by §13, is further amended to read:
 
A. The statewide E-9-1-1 surcharge is 37¢45¢ per month per line or number. Beginning July 1, 2010October 1, 2018, the statewide E-9-1-1 surcharge is 45¢40¢ 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. 2. 25 MRSA §2927, sub-§1-F, ¶A, as amended by PL 2009, c. 617, §9 and affected by §13, is further amended to read:
 
A. The prepaid wireless E-9-1-1 surcharge is 37¢45¢ per retail transaction. Beginning July 1, 2010October 1, 2018, the prepaid wireless E-9-1-1 surcharge is 45¢40¢ per retail transaction.
Sec. 3.  25 MRSA §2927, sub-§3-D  is enacted to read:
 
3-D.  Grants for dispatch consolidation.     To support the consolidation of dispatch centers into existing public safety answering points, the bureau shall use up to $1,000,000 from the funds collected from the statewide E-9-1-1 surcharge under subsection 1-E and the statewide prepaid wireless telecommunications service E-9-1-1 surcharge under subsection 1-F to provide grants to dispatch centers for nonrecurring costs associated with the consolidation of the dispatch centers into public safety answering points. The bureau shall adopt rules establishing the application process for the distribution of grants and establishing the allowable uses of grants pursuant to this subsection. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
 
Emergency Services Communication Bureau 0994
 
Initiative: Provides an allocation for grants to encourage the consolidation of dispatch centers into existing public safety answering points.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2017-18	2018-19	
All Other	$0	$1,000,000	
			
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	$0	$1,000,000	
 
’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment is the minority report of the committee and replaces the bill. It reduces, starting October 1, 2018, the statewide E-9-1-1 surcharge and the statewide prepaid wireless telecommunications service E-9-1-1 surcharge to 40¢. It also requires the Public Utilities Commission, Emergency Services Communication Bureau to use up to $1,000,000 from the statewide E-9-1-1 surcharge and the statewide prepaid wireless telecommunications service E-9-1-1 surcharge to provide grants to support the consolidation of dispatch centers into existing public safety answering points. It requires the Emergency Services Communication Bureau to adopt routine technical rules to establish the application process and allowable uses for grants.
This amendment also adds an allocation of $1,000,000 for the grants.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)