WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 15
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Chapter 15
(Senate Bill 138)
AN ACT concerning
Public Safety – Maryland 9–1–1 Board and Maryland Department of Emergency
Management – Regulatory Authority
FOR the purpose of authorizing the Maryland 9–1–1 Board to adopt regulations to
implement and enforce certain responsibilities of the Board; authorizing the
Maryland Department of Emergency Management to adopt regulations to
implement and enforce the responsibilities of the Department; and generally relating
to the regulatory authority of the Maryland 9–1–1 Board and the Maryland
Department of Emergency Management.
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article – Public Safety
Section 1–306 and 14–103
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement)
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
Article – Public Safety
1–306.
(a) The Board shall coordinate the enhancement of county 9–1–1 systems.
(b) The Board’s responsibilities include:
(1) establishing planning guidelines for enhanced 9–1–1 system plans and
deployment of wireless enhanced 9–1–1 service in accordance with this subtitle;
(2) establishing procedures to review and approve or disapprove county
plans and to evaluate requests for variations from the planning guidelines established by
the Board;
(3) establishing procedures for the request for reimbursement of the costs
of enhancing a 9–1–1 system by a county or counties in which a 9–1–1 system is in
operation, and procedures to review and approve or disapprove the request;
(4) transmitting the planning guidelines and procedures established under
this section, and any amendments to them, to the governing body of each county;
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(5) submitting to the Secretary each year a schedule for implementing the
enhancement of county or multicounty 9–1–1 systems, and an estimate of funding
requirements based on the approved county plans;
(6) developing, with input from counties, and publishing on or before July
1, 2004, an implementation schedule for deployment of wireless enhanced 9–1–1 service;
(7) reviewing and approving or disapproving requests for reimbursement
of the costs of enhancing 9–1–1 systems, and submitting to the Secretary each year a
schedule for reimbursement and an estimate of funding requirements;
(8) reviewing the enhancement of 9–1–1 systems;
(9) providing for an audit of county expenditures for the operation and
maintenance of 9–1–1 systems;
(10) ensuring inspections of public safety answering points;
(11) reviewing and approving or disapproving requests from counties with
operational enhanced 9–1–1 systems to be exempted from the expenditure limitations
under § 1–312 of this subtitle;
(12) authorizing expenditures from the 9–1–1 Trust Fund that:
(i) are for enhancements of 9–1–1 systems that:
1. are required by the Board;
2. will be provided to a county by a third party contractor;
and
3. will incur costs that the Board has approved before the
formation of a contract between the county and the contractor; and
(ii) are approved by the Board for payment:
1. from money collected under § 1–310 of this subtitle; and
2. directly to a third party contractor on behalf of a county;
(13) establishing planning guidelines for Next Generation 9–1–1 services
system plans and deployment of Next Generation 9–1–1 services in accordance with this
subtitle;
(14) establishing minimum standards for records retention guidelines for
9–1–1 audio, pictures, video, text messages, and data; WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 15
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(15) establishing training standards for public safety answering point
personnel based on national best practices, including training concerning:
(i) Next Generation 9–1–1 topics;
(ii) individual psychological well–being and resilience; and
(iii) subject to subsection (e)(2) of this section, implicit bias training;
(16) establishing minimum standards for cybersecurity, oversight, and
accountability of service level agreements between counties and core service providers of
Next Generation 9–1–1 services; and
(17) supporting 9–1–1 specialist recruitment activities consisting of:
(i) a database that offers information on recruitment guidance, best
practices, and strategies;
(ii) recruitment projects, including recruitment projects designed to
reach minorities; and
(iii) a website that contains links to job opportunities throughout the
State for 9–1–1 specialists.
(c) The guidelines established by the Board under subsection (b)(1) and (13) of
this section:
(1) shall be based on available technology and equipment;
(2) shall require Next Generation 9–1–1 services systems to be
interconnected and interoperable, as determined by the Board; and
(3) may be based on any other factor that the Board determines is
appropriate, including population and area served by 9–1–1 systems.
(d) The standards established by the Board under subsection (b)(14) of this
section shall include procedures for:
(1) the security of the records;
(2) the establishment and revision, in accordance with the regulations, of
record retention and disposal schedules to ensure the prompt and orderly disposition of
records, including electronic records, that are no longer needed for operation; and
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(3) the maintenance of inventories of records series that are accurate and
complete.
(e) (1) (i) The standards established by the Board under subsection (b)(15)
of this section shall include onboarding standards for newly hired 9–1–1 specialists and
minimum continuing education standards for 9–1–1 specialists.
(ii) The Board shall develop criteria and approve the initial and
ongoing training curriculum for the training required under subsection (b)(15) of this
section.
(2) Public safety answering point personnel shall be provided the implicit
bias training required under subsection (b)(15)(iii) of this section:
(i) on or before October 1, 2024, for personnel hired by the public
safety answering point on or before October 1, 2022;
(ii) at the time of hire for personnel hired by the public safety
answering point after October 1, 2022; and
(iii) on a recurring basis with updates as determined by the Board,
but at least once every 4 years.
(3) (i) At least once each year, the Board shall provide for an audit of
each public safety answering point in order to ensure that 9–1–1 specialists and other
personnel employed by the public safety answering point have satisfied the training
requirements established in accordance with subsection (b)(15) of this section.
(ii) The audit described under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph
may be conducted concurrently with an inspection of the public safety answering point in
accordance with subsection (b)(10) of this section.
(iii) 1. If the Board determines that the personnel employed by a
public safety answering point have not satisfied the training requirements established in
accordance with subsection (b)(15) of this section, the Board and public safety answering
point shall jointly develop a remediation plan and implementation timeline.
2. The Board may impose sanctions on a public safety
answering point if the public safety answering point fails to comply with a remediation plan
or implementation timeline developed under this subparagraph.
(f) The Board shall establish standards governing the processing of 9–1–1
requests for assistance that:
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(1) minimize the transfer of those requests from the public safety
answering point that received the request to other public safety answering points within or
outside the State or federal emergency communication centers; and
(2) follow best practices for transferring requests to public safety agencies
to ensure the optimal public safety response.
(g) The Board shall:
(1) establish minimum standards for 9–1–1 systems, enhanced 9–1–1
systems, and Next Generation 9–1–1 services that ensure improved access for individuals
with disabilities and individuals who use assistive technologies, including mandatory
connectivity requirements for core service providers for Next Generation 9–1–1 services to
device–based and cloud–based data repositories; and
(2) update the standards adopted in accordance with item (1) of this
subsection based on available technology and equipment.
(H) THE BOARD MAY ADOPT REGUL ATIONS TO IMPLEMENT AND ENFORCE
THIS SUBTITLE.
14–103.
(a) There is a Maryland Department of Emergency Management established as a
principal department of the Executive Branch of State government.
(b) The Department has primary responsibility and authority for developing
emergency management policies and is responsible for coordinating disaster risk reduction,
consequence management, and disaster recovery activities.
(c) The Department may act to:
(1) reduce the disaster risk and vulnerability of persons and property
located in the State;
(2) develop and coordinate emergency planning and preparedness; and
(3) coordinate emergency management activities and operations:
(i) relating to an emergency that involves two or more State
agencies;
(ii) between State agencies and political subdivisions;
(iii) with local governments;
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(iv) with agencies of the federal government and other states; and
(v) with private and nonprofit entities.
(D) THE DEPARTMENT MAY ADOPT R EGULATIONS TO IMPLEM ENT AND
ENFORCE THIS SUBTITL E.
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
1, 2025.
Approved by the Governor, April 8, 2025.