Federal next-generation 911 funding has a slim chance of making it into a final infrastructure spending package, but Congress has other viable paths to enact the money this year, supportive lawmakers and officials said in recent interviews. The Senate passed its amended Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (HR-3684) with $65 billion for broadband but no NG-911 funding (see 2108100062). Some 911 stakeholders hope House Commerce Committee Democratic leaders will push to add at least some of the $15 billion they proposed in the Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s (Lift) America Act (HR-1848) when the chamber considers HR-3684 or via a coming budget reconciliation package.

Public safety communications leaders haven’t reached agreement with the House Commerce Committee on changes to next-generation 911 language in panel Democrats’ Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s (Lift) America Act infrastructure bill (HR-1848), the advocates said. Infrastructure discussions between President Joe Biden and Senate Republicans were to extend into Monday. Friday's conversation between Biden and Senate Public Works Committee ranking member Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia didn’t yield a deal.

National Emergency Number Association officials urged its members during a Tuesday event to lobby lawmakers to modify next-generation 911 language in the Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s (Lift) America Act (HR-1848) and pass the 911 Supporting Accurate Views of Emergency Services Act (HR-2351). Rep. Norma Torres, D-Calif., touted HR-2351 during the NENA event as necessary to “support and maintain the men and women of our 911 dispatcher community, who serve as our first emergency line of support.” The refiled measure would change the federal government's classification of public safety call-takers and dispatchers to "protective service occupations" (see 1904050054). NENA Government Affairs Director Dan Henry emphasized that the group backs HR-1848’s proposed $15 billion in NG-911 funding but seeks changes to some elements of the associated policy language, including broadening its definition of “commonly accepted standards,” clarifying its interoperability requirement and limiting the scope of a proposed NG-911 Advisory Board within NTIA (see 2104080003). “Both of the parties are hoping for a bipartisan solution here,” Henry said. He wants members to meet with House Commerce Committee lawmakers, as well as Senate Commerce Committee members, because a Senate-side companion to HR-1848 hasn't been filed.

Public safety communications leaders told us they remain divided on the next-generation 911 language in the Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s (Lift) America Act (HR-1848) as the House Commerce Committee eyes how to proceed on the measure. HR-1848 allocates $15 billion for NG-911, along with $80 billion for broadband deployments (see 2103110060). The National Emergency Number Association and National Association of State 911 Administrators are continuing to press committee Democrats to modify HR-1848 language they view as impinging on existing NG-911 work. APCO continues to back the NG-911 provisions and countered opponents’ claims during a webinar last week.

Congressional Democrats refiled a pair of multibillion-dollar broadband funding proposals Thursday -- the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act (HR-1783) and Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s (Lift) America Act amid a rising push for infrastructure spending legislation, as expected (see 2103030063). The proposals' return came ahead of President Joe Biden’s Thursday night speech marking the one-year anniversary of widespread pandemic-related shutdowns, which some expect will include an unveiling of his plans for an infrastructure spending package. Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act package (HR-1319) earlier in the day, with emergency broadband money (see 2103110037).

The FCC Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council approved a report Wednesday with recommendations on measuring risks and remediation costs in 911 and next-generation 911 networks. During its virtual meeting, CSRIC also OK'd reports on making standalone 5G networks more reliable and addressing session initiation protocol (SIP) security challenges. The meeting was the last under the group’s current charter and the first under President Joe Biden's administration.

The National Emergency Number Association’s 3D Geoinformation Systems Working Group is making “significant progress toward requirements for using 3D location data” and will submit a report to the FCC Public Safety Bureau in the next few weeks, CEO Brian Fontes and others told an aide to acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The time for providers “to deliver vertical location information is now,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 07-114: “The sooner … providers can convey vertical location information, the sooner 9-1-1 can set about to extracting the greatest possible value from this information.”

An NPRM on curbing 911 fee diversion (see 2101270060) is likely to receive unanimous support during Wednesday's meeting, FCC officials told us. Congress in December passed the Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act, which required the commission to issue rules defining what constitutes a 911 fee or diversion.

The National Emergency Number Association and Center for Internet Security adopted a memorandum of understanding on working together on best cybersecurity practice and will host a summit. “As we continue to lead the transition from legacy 9-1-1 to NG9-1-1 technologies, it is imperative that we elevate 9-1-1 professionals’ knowledge of cybersecurity,” said NENA President Gary Bell.

Prioritize 911 workers for COVID-19 vaccinations, the National Emergency Number Association said Friday. “Sadly, while the federal government and statehouses across the country have designated 9-1-1 professionals as essential workers throughout the pandemic, many states are not recognizing these public servants as essential when it comes to the distribution of coronavirus vaccines,” NENA CEO Brian Fontes wrote governors.