Committee approves temporary rule allowing longer contracts for emergency communications equipment

The Senate State Affairs committee on Monday approved a temporary administrative rule that would allow five‑year contracts for emergency communications equipment and services, arguing longer terms are needed to modernize degraded legacy 9‑1‑1 infrastructure.

Andy Creech, sheriff of Patek County and chair of the Idaho Public Safety Communications Commission, told the committee that legacy copper 9‑1‑1 systems are degraded, provide poorer location data for cellular calls and lack redundancy. "The rule change that's before you will reduce the administrative burden and save significant costs throughout, through the ability to execute long term contracts for emergency communications equipment and services," Creech said.

Creech cited federal steps to transition to IP‑based emergency calling, noting FCC orders since 2019 and 2024 that have advanced Internet‑protocol capabilities for emergency calls. He told senators that purchases acquired year‑to‑year are "25 to 30% higher than a 5 year acquisition" and that unified five‑year contracts can be "40%" cheaper than short‑term buys, according to regional network leadership he cited.

Senator Den Hartog moved to approve docket 15Dash0601Dash2501 as a temporary and pending rule; Senator Harris seconded the motion. The committee proceeded without discussion and approved the docket by voice vote.

Supporters said unified contracts and IP‑based systems would improve automatic transfer of location data and reduce the operational strain when a PSAP is down. Creech also said the administrative change removes unnecessary application criteria to reduce regulatory burden for grant participants.

The committee approved the rule change and closed the rules portion of its docket. No further action on implementation timelines was specified during the meeting.