O'Rielly Slams New Jersey 911 Fee Bill to Allow Current Diversion Levels
Commissioner Mike O'Rielly slammed a New Jersey bill on 911 fees set for hearing Thursday in the Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee that would require at least 10 percent of state 911 fee revenue to be used for…
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public safety answering point (PSAP) technology upgrades and maintenance. But FCC commissioners and the state wireless association earlier admonished New Jersey for diverting 89 percent ($108.1 million) of its 911 fee revenue to unrelated purposes in 2016, as shown in an FCC report last month (see 1802230012). “I appreciate that the New Jersey state legislature is looking at the issue but my initial read of this particular legislation is that it is far from fixing the problem," O'Rielly emailed. "Instead, it appears to authorize the stealing of 90 percent of the funds that are supposed to go to the public safety 9-1-1 system. New Jersey residents and its public safety officials, who have answered the call so many times, deserve better." The New Jersey Wireless Association plans to say at Thursday’s hearing that the 10 percent proposed in AB-2371 won't solve fee diversion, NJWA President Rob Ivanoff said. The Assembly Committee also plans to hear AB-122, which would require all publicly and privately owned public safety dispatch points to meet the same operational, equipment and staffing standards as PSAPs. PSAPs and dispatch points would also be required to have “a master street address guide or computer aided dispatch system that allows each call center to share 9-1-1 address data electronically.” The bill would require dispatching within 90 seconds of a 911 call, even if the call was transferred between call centers. And it would require PSAPs and dispatch points to keep detailed records of every 911 call received. The committee also plans to hear two other bills that haven't been introduced. AB-3742 would fund and require next-generation 911, while making texting 911 without need a fourth-degree crime. AB-3743 would impose a 90 cents 911 fee at the point of sale when buying prepaid wireless telephone service. Momentum grew to end Rhode Island 911 fee diversion after a state legislative effort there gained national attention (see 1803200052).