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House committee advances 9‑1‑1 cleanup bill adding NENA chapter seat, clarifying fee distribution
Summary
House Bill 538, a technical cleanup to a statewide 9‑1‑1 plan enacted last session, would add a representative from the Montana chapter of the National Emergency Number Association to the advisory council, clarify allocation language and confirm that fees and distributions are unchanged.
Representative Melissa Nicola Kacos introduced House Bill 538 to the House Energy Committee as a follow‑up cleanup to last session’s bill that established a statewide 9‑1‑1 plan. "We have successfully accomplished that goal. And now we're back here with that same bill cleaning up some of that language," Kacos said, noting an oversight in advisory‑council membership.
Laura Schultz, interim 9‑1‑1 program manager in the Attorney General’s Office, told the committee the bill does not change fees: the existing $1 per line fee remains in place. "This bill in no way changes any of the incoming or outgoing funding," Schultz said, and explained that 75% of fees are distributed quarterly to county public safety answering points (PSAPs) with the remaining 25% going to a grant account; the bill clarifies how the allocation formula may be updated using call volume data in addition to population.
Proponents from public safety and communications groups testified in support. Zack Slattery of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and Bridger Mallum of Broadband Montana praised the vetting and broad participation of the advisory council. "My experience on this advisory council ... very frequent meeting pattern, good participation ... the broad representation on the council itself is what produced this legislation," Mallum said.
Alan Doane of the Attorney General’s Office, who chairs the 9‑1‑1 advisory council, told the committee the proposed changes were vetted by the council and supported its recommendations. Scott O’Connell, president of the Montana chapter of the National Emergency Number Association, said he supports the bill and expects the chapter to be added to council membership.
Committee members asked whether the bill changes the dollar amount of the fee or its distribution. Kacos and Schultz reiterated that the dollar per line and the 75/25 distribution remain the same and that the bill reorganizes and clarifies statutory language about allocations and advisory council membership.
The committee voted to advance HB 538 to the House floor: the roll call recorded 14 ayes and no noes (proxies for Representative Fielder and Representative Mitchell were recorded as ayes).
