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Senate passes overhaul of 9‑1‑1 funding, names MEMA statewide coordinator for NG9‑1‑1
Summary
Lawmakers approved a rewrite of Mississippi's emergency communications code to create a statewide NG9‑1‑1 authority under MEMA and change how 9‑1‑1 service charges are collected and distributed, including a flat $2 per line fee remitted to the Department of Revenue and distribution rules for local emergency communication districts.
The Mississippi Senate approved a comprehensive rewrite of the state's emergency communications statutes that designates the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) as the statewide coordinator for Next Generation 9‑1‑1 (NG9‑1‑1) and reorganizes the collection and distribution of emergency communications fees.
Senator Josh Harkins and Senator Delano DeWitt (floor sponsors during debate) described the bill as a “rip out and replace” of older code to align state law with federal guidance for next‑generation emergency communications. The bill requires service providers to remit a flat emergency communications service charge of $2 per line — landline, wireless, voice‑over‑IP or prepaid wireless — to the state Department of Revenue. MEMA will administer a new authority and a 13‑member advisory board to develop a statewide NG9‑1‑1 plan, set standards and distribute funds to local emergency communications districts (ECDs).
Under the bill, no more than 7% of collected fees may be used for state administration and plan implementation; at least 30% of each ECD’s distribution must be directed toward capital expenditures specifically tied to NG9‑1‑1 implementation, and remaining funds are restricted to emergency communications operations. Service providers must also provide address‑level billing data to the authority to aid fund distribution.
Proponents said the change will enable Mississippi to qualify for federal grants to support planning and implementation and will create a transparent, auditable statewide funding model. Senator Delano told the floor the change is intended to prevent local jurisdictions from having to raise property taxes or ask for bonds to pay the high, upfront cost of migrating to NG9‑1‑1.
Critics asked for protections to ensure local control over small craft harbor and related local port decisions that had arisen in other bills; sponsor amendments limited the changes to new projects and clarified that previously approved projects would not be affected.
Senators also debated questions about a large existing CMRS (commercial mobile radio service) fund balance; sponsors said the bill freezes the historic CMRS account while establishing a new distribution model and a future grant program to consider transferring that balance into targeted grants for local implementation based on an authority plan.
The Senate adopted the committee substitute and later passed the bill on final passage by recorded vote procedure. The bill sets deadlines for ECD planning and requires ECDs to adopt NG9‑1‑1 implementation plans by a date specified in statute.
Sources: Floor debate and committee substitute presented during the session.
