§ 28-24 — Division of State-Wide Emergency Telecommunications. Enhanced emergency 9-1-1 program. Funding.

Connecticut § 28-24

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 28: Civil Preparedness and Emergency Services
• Ch. 518a: Emergency Telecommunications

Text

(a) There is established a Division of State-Wide Emergency Telecommunications which shall be within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. The Division of State-Wide Emergency Telecommunications shall be responsible for developing and maintaining a state-wide emergency service telecommunications policy. In connection with said policy, the division shall: (1) Develop a state-wide emergency service telecommunications plan specifying emergency police, fire and medical service telecommunications systems needed to provide coordinated emergency service telecommunications to all state residents, including persons with physical disabilities and persons in need of mental health, behavioral health or substance use disorder services; (2) (A) Develop and administer an enhanced emergency 9-1-1 program, which shall provide for: (i) The replacement of existing 9-1-1 terminal equipment for each public safety answering point; (ii) the subsidization of regional public safety emergency telecommunications centers, with enhanced subsidization (I) for municipalities with a population of forty thousand or more, and (II) pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, for such centers serving at least one municipality with a population of one hundred thousand or more as of July 1, 2016; (iii) the establishment of incentives to encourage regionalization of public safety answering points, which incentives shall include, but not be limited to, a transition grant program; (iv) the establishment of a regional emergency telecommunications service credit in order to support regional dispatch services; and (v) the implementation of the next generation 9-1-1 telecommunication system; (B) (i) Beginning July 1, 2019, and ending on the date a regulation described in subparagraph (B)(v) of this subdivision is posted on the eRegulations System by the Secretary of the State in accordance with section 4-172 , or on May 1, 2020, whichever is sooner, enhanced subsidization payments for any regional public safety emergency telecommunications center described in subparagraph (A)(ii)(II) of this subdivision shall be calculated in accordance with the provisions of this subparagraph, provided subsidization payments for regional public safety emergency telecommunications centers other than those described in said subparagraph shall not be decreased as a result of such calculation. (ii) As used in this subparagraph: (I) “Division” means the Division of State-Wide Emergency Telecommunications; (II) “RPOP” means the aggregate population of the towns or cities served by the regional public safety emergency telecommunications center as determined by the most recent population figures from the Department of Public Health; (III) “RPV” means the regional population value calculated by identifying the total annual subsidy paid by the division for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, to all regional public safety emergency telecommunications centers, multiplying such total annual subsidy payment by twenty-five per cent, and dividing such product by the aggregate population of the towns or cities served by all such centers in existence on December 31, 2017, as determined by the population figures from the Department of Public Health on said date; (IV) “RCV” means the regional call value calculated by the total annual subsidy paid by the division for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, to all regional public safety emergency telecommunications centers, multiplying such total annual subsidy by seventy-five per cent, and dividing such product by the number of 9-1-1 calls received for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, at all such centers in existence on December 31, 2017; (V) “RCALL” means the average, over the most recent three calendar years, of the number of 9-1-1 calls annually received by a regional public safety emergency telecommunications center; and (VI) “RT” means the enhanced subsidization payment calculated under this subdivision for a regional public safety emergency telecommunications center described in subparagraph (A)(ii)(II) of this subdivision. (iii) (I) On July 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, RPV and RCV shall be adjusted by the division in accordance with any increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, during the three calendar years preceding such adjustment. (II) In the case of a member town or city of a regional public safety emergency telecommunications center for which such center does not provide emergency police, fire and medical services and emergency medical dispatch services, the RPOP and RCALL of such town or city shall not be included in such center's totals for the purpose of calculating enhanced subsidization payments under this subdivision, except that if such town or city is served exclusively by the Connecticut State Police for law enforcement purposes, the RPOP and RCALL of such town or city shall be so included only to the extent of the provision of emergency police services. (iv) The enhanced subsidization payment for a regional public safety emergency telecommunications center described in subparagraph (A)(ii)(II) of this subdivision shall be calculated as follows: RT = (RPOP × RPV) + (RCALL × RCV). (v) The provisions of this subparagraph shall cease to be effective on the date of the posting on the eRegulations System by the Secretary of the State in accordance with section 4-172 of a regulation adopted by the division pursuant to subsection (b) of this section that incorporates a substantially similar formula for the calculation of enhanced subsidization payments under this subparagraph, or on May 1, 2020, whichever is sooner. Until such provisions cease to be effective, the division shall examine the application of a cost-of-living adjustment to such formula and, not later than February 15, 2020, report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public safety, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a , on such examination including any recommendations for legislative action. (3) Provide technical telecommunications assistance to state and local police, fire and emergency medical service agencies; (4) Provide frequency coordination for such agencies; (5) Coordinate and assist in state-wide planning for 9-1-1, E 9-1-1 and the next generation 9-1-1 telecommunication systems, with a focus on facilitating the regionalization of public safety answering points; (6) Review and make recommendations concerning proposed legislation affecting emergency service telecommunications; (7) Review and make recommendations to the General Assembly concerning emergency service telecommunications funding, including ways to reduce costs by removing barriers to consolidation of existing public safety answering points; and (8) On or before January first of each year, prepare the annual budget for the use of funds from the Enhanced 9-1-1 Telecommunications Fund and submit such budget to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management for the secretary's review and approval. On or before January fifteenth of each year, said secretary shall submit a report concerning the proposed use of such funds to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, finance, revenue and bonding, and public safety in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a . (b) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, establishing eligibility standards for state financial assistance to local or regional police, fire and emergency medical service agencies providing emergency service telecommunications. Not later than April 1, 1997, the commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, in order to carry out the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section. Such regulations shall be amended to adopt a formula for the calculation of enhanced subsidization payments that is substantially similar to the formula contained in subparagraph (B) of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section. (c) Within a time period determined by the commissioner to ensure the availability of funds for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1997, to the regional emergency telecommunications centers within the state, and not later than April first of each year thereafter, the commissioner shall determine the amount of funding needed for the development and administration of the enhanced emergency 9-1-1 program. The commissioner shall specify the expenses associated with (1) the purchase, installation and maintenance of new public safety answering point terminal equipment, (2) the implementation of the subsidy program, as described in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, (3) the establishment of incentives to encourage regionalization of public safety answering points, including the implementation of the transition grant program, described in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, (4) the implementation of the regional emergency telecommunications service credit, as described in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, provided, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, and each fiscal year thereafter, such credit for coordinated medical emergency direction services as provided in regulations adopted under this section shall be based upon the factor of thirty cents per capita and shall not be reduced each year, (5) the training of personnel, as necessary, (6) recurring expenses and future capital costs associated with the telecommunications network used to provide emergency 9-1-1 service and the public safety services data networks, (7) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, and each fiscal year thereafter, the collection, maintenance and reporting of emergency medical services data, as required under subparagraph (A) of subdivision (8) of section 19a-177 , provided the amount of expenses specified under this subdivision shall not exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars in any fiscal year, (8) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, and each fiscal year thereafter, the initial training of emergency medical dispatch personnel, the provision of an emergency medical dispatch priority reference card set and emergency medical dispatch training and continuing education pursuant to subdivisions (3) and (4) of subsection (g) of section 28-25b , (9) the administration of the enhanced emergency 9-1-1 program by the Division of State-Wide Emergency Telecommunications, as the commissioner determines to be reasonably necessary, and (10) the implementation and maintenance of the public safety data network established pursuant to section 29-1j . The commissioner shall communicate the commissioner's findings to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority not later than April first of each year. (d) The division may apply for, receive and distribute any federal funds available for emergency service telecommunications. The division shall deposit such federal funds in the Enhanced 9-1-1 Telecommunications Fund established pursuant to section 28-30a . (e) The division shall work in cooperation with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to carry out the purposes of this section.

Legislative History

(P.A. 81-458, S. 1, 4; P.A. 82-87, S. 1, 2; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-12, S. 4, 10; P.A. 93-206, S. 5, 16; P.A. 96-150, S. 1, 5; P.A. 00-151, S. 6, 14; P.A. 05-181, S. 1; P.A. 06-196, S. 157; P.A. 11-51, S. 105, 164; 11-80, S. 1, 85; 11-242, S. 36; P.A. 12-68, S. 2; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1, S. 241; P.A. 16-150, S. 1; P.A. 19-79, S. 1; P.A. 22-47, S. 22.) History: P.A. 82-87 amended Subsec. (a) by changing the office of state-wide emergency telecommunications to a bureau within the department of administrative services; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-12 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that bureau be within department of public safety in lieu of department of administrative services for administrative purposes only and to eliminate the position of administrator, redesignated Subsec. (a)(7) as Subsec. (b) and required public safety commissioner to adopt regulations in lieu of administrator, and relettered Subsecs. (b) and (c) as Subsecs. (c) and (d), respectively, substituting bureau for administrator; P.A. 93-206 amended section to substitute office of state-wide emergency telecommunications for bureau and amended Subsec. (a) to require said office to be in division of fire, emergency and building services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 96-150 added detailed provisions re implementing enhanced 9-1-1 program in new Subsecs. (a)(2) and (c), renumbering and relettering prior provisions as necessary and added provision in Subsec. (d) re deposit of federal funds in Enhanced 9-1-1 Telecommunications Fund, effective May 31, 1996; P.A. 00-151 amended Subsec. (c) by making technical changes and adding provisions re calculation of coordinated medical emergency direction services credit, funding for emergency medical services data collection and reporting, and funding for emergency medical dispatch, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 05-181 amended Subsec. (a)(2)(B) to substitute 40,000 for 70,000, amended Subsec. (c)(4) to substitute $0.30 per capita for $0.15 per capita, and amended Subsec. (c)(6) to include reference to the public safety services data networks, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-196 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(5), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 11-51 amended Subsec. (a) to delete references to the office being within Division of Fire, Emergency and Building Services within the Department of Public Safety and to place the office within Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, and changed “Commissioner of Public Safety” to “Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection” in Subsecs. (a)(2) and (b), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-80 changed “chairperson of the Public Utilities Control Authority” to “Public Utilities Regulatory Authority” in Subsec. (c) and changed “Department of Public Utility Control” to “Public Utilities Regulatory Authority” in Subsec. (e), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-242 eliminated reference to Sec. 19a-177(8)(B) in Subsec. (c)(7); P.A. 12-68 amended Subsec. (c) to add Subdiv. (10) re implementation and maintenance of public safety data network, effective July 1, 2012; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1 amended Subsec. (a) to add Subdiv. (8) re preparation of annual budget for use of funds from Enhanced 9-1-1 Telecommunications Fund and submission thereof to Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and submission by secretary of report re proposed use of funds to legislative committees, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 16-150 replaced “Office of State-Wide Emergency Telecommunications” with “Division of State-Wide Emergency Telecommunications”, amended Subsec. (a) to delete reference to recommendations of task force and add Subpara. (E) re implementation of next generation 9-1-1 telecommunication system in Subdiv. (2), and made technical and conforming changes; P.A. 19-79 substantially amended Subsec. (a)(2) including by designating existing provisions re enhanced emergency 9-1-1 program as new Subpara. (A) and amending same by redesignating existing Subparas. (A) and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), adding provision re centers serving at least one municipality with a population of 100,000 or more as of July 1, 2016 in redesignated clause (ii), designating existing provisions re encouragement of regionalization as clause (iii) and amending same to replace “a transition grant program” with “incentives”, and adding “which incentives shall include, but not be limited to, a transition grant program”, designating existing provisions re service credit as clause (iv), designating existing provision re next generation 9-1-1 telecommunication system as clause (v), adding new Subpara. (B) re enhanced subsidization payments for regional public safety emergency telecommunication center, amended Subsec. (a)(5) by adding provision re focus on facilitating regionalization of public safety answering points, amended Subsec. (a)(7) by adding provision re ways to reduce costs, amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re amending regulations to adopt formula for calculation of enhanced subsidization payments, amended Subsec. (c)(3) by adding provision re establishment of incentives to encourage regionalization of public safety answering points, and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 22-47 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by replacing “physically disabled” with “persons with physical disabilities” and adding reference to “persons in need of mental health, behavioral health or substance use disorder services”.