Committee advances sweeping NG911 modernization bill, names MEMA state coordinator and creates emergency communications authority

The Technology Committee advanced a major rewrite of the state's emergency communications code to implement next‑generation 9‑1‑1 (NG911) standards, designate the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) as the state NG911 coordinator, and create a Mississippi Emergency Communications Authority and advisory board to manage planning, standards and a grant program.

Sponsor overview: the bill replaces multiple code sections governing emergency communications and consolidates fee collection and distribution. The sponsor told the committee the bill is patterned in part on legislation from Georgia and Arkansas and was developed with input from MEMA, technology vendors and emergency communications districts (ECDs).

Fee collection and distribution: the bill directs all service providers (landline, VoIP, wireless and prepaid wireless) to remit a flat $2 emergency communications service fee to the Department of Revenue (DOR). Providers will also submit ZIP‑code level remittance data so funds can be distributed to the local jurisdictions from which the fees originated.

A state administrative up‑to‑7% holdback would fund statewide NG911 implementation, MEMA administrative costs and other state activities; a small fee to DOR for collection was also discussed (sponsor estimated about a half percent). The balance of the fund is returned to counties; the sponsor said that 30% of a county’s allocation must be segregated into an NG911 implementation fund reserved for capital expenditures (planning, construction, equipment) and may not be used for recurring operating costs such as salaries. The remaining approximately 70% is available to the county for emergency communications operations.

Governance and planning: MEMA would be named the coordinator under state code and would hire a director for the new Mississippi Emergency Communications Authority. An advisory board of 13 members would include a representative from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and principally local government or ECD representatives, the sponsor said, to ensure grassroots input on standards, operations and grant scoring.

Grants and CMRS funds: the bill creates an ECD CMRS grant fund and tasks the authority with developing a grant program for counties that submit NG911‑consistent implementation plans; the sponsor said the bill creates a landing zone for future transfers and that the text does not move existing CMRS funds at this time. The authority is to develop scoring criteria and report back to the legislature on grant processes.

Technical and operational items: the sponsor noted significant technical costs such as a statewide GIS mapping effort required to ensure consistent geo‑referenced mapping across counties, network security needs, bandwidth considerations and options for local consolidation of PSAPs (public safety answering points). He said the bill is written to be technically amendable to allow future minor tweaks without full recodification.

Local control and federal funding: the sponsor emphasized the bill is intended to help counties meet federal NG911 benchmarks and access federal grant programs; he said some federal mandates and benchmarks already exist and that failure to adopt a state coordinator hampered earlier federal grant draws.

Committee action: after extended discussion and questions from committee members about funding, consolidation, and governance, the committee approved the bill as "title sufficient due to pass committee sub" and advanced the measure. The sponsor asked for ongoing county engagement to avoid unintended consequences.

Votes at a glance: committee advanced the NG911 bill by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Follow‑up: the sponsor indicated technical amendments are expected, and the authority will develop grant scoring and a statewide plan to be reported to the legislature; counties and vendors should prepare for further rulemaking and implementation guidance.