By: Hancock S.B. No. 1858
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the next generation 9-1-1 service fund.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 771.0713, Health and Safety Code, is
amended by amending Subsections (b), (c), (f) and (g) and adding
Subsections (c-1), (c-2), (c-3) and (c-4) to read as follows:
(b) Notwithstanding any other law and except as provided by
federal or state law, the comptroller shall transfer to the credit
of the next generation 9-1-1 service fund any amount available (i)
from federal money provided to this state from the Coronavirus
State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under Section 9901 of the
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 117-2) or from any
other federal governmental source, or (ii) from any state
governmental source, for purposes of this chapter. The comptroller
shall transfer the money as soon as practicable following the
receipt by this state of a sufficient amount of federal money for
the transfer or as soon as practicable after the effective date of
the most recent appropriation of state funds by the legislature for
this purpose.
(c) Money deposited to the credit of the next generation
9-1-1 service fund may be used only for the purpose of supporting
the deployment and reliable operation of next generation 9-1-1
service, including the costs of equipment, operations, and
administration.
(c-1) Money in the fund from federal sources may be
distributed to only the commission and emergency communication
districts and must be used in a manner the complies with federal
law.
(c-2) For any money in the fund resulting from the
appropriation of state funds, except as provided by Subsection
(c-3), after the money is deposited into the fund, the commission
shall distribute to each emergency communication district that does
not participate in the state system a portion of the money that
bears the same proportion that the population of the area served by
the district bears to the population of the state.
(c-3) For each emergency communication district created
under Chapter 772 that is entitled to a portion of the money
distributed under Subsection (c-2), the commission shall:
(1) reduce the portion to which that district is
entitled by an amount equal to [nine percent] of that portion and
distribute that amount in equal shares to all the emergency
communication districts created under Chapter 772; and
(2) distribute to that district the remainder of the
portion to which the district is entitled under Subsection (c-2)
that is not distributed under Subdivision (1).
(c-4) The remaining money in the fund appropriated from
state funds that is not otherwise distributed under Subsection
(c-2) or (c-3) shall be deposited to the 9-1-1 services fee account.
(f) All money in the fund from the Coronavirus State and
Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under Section 9901 of the American
Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 117-2) shall be distributed in
accordance with this section not later than [December 31, 2022]
August 31, 2024, and all money distributed under this section from
the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under Section
9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 117-2)
shall be spent not later than [December 31, 2024]December 31, 2026,
for the deployment and reliable operation of next generation 9-1-1
service.
(g) This section expires [September 1, 2025]December 31,
2026.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.