HB312 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Mike Millican

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

E-911 services, Statewide 911 Board, established to replace Commercial Mobile Radio Service Board, service charge, collection by board, deposit into E-911 Fund, distrib. to local E-911 districts for implementing Enhanced E-911, procedures and requirements for districts, Secs. 11-98-4.1, 11-98-12 added; Secs. 11-98-1, 11-98-2, 11-98-4, 11-98-5, 11-98-5.1, 11-98-6, 11-98-7, 11-98-8, 11-98-9 am'd.; Sec. 11-98-7.1 repealed

Summary

HB312 creates a single, statewide E-911 system in Alabama, replacing the CMRS Board, and funds emergency services through a statewide 911 charge and a dedicated 911 Fund to support local districts and providers.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a 13-member statewide 911 Board to replace the previous CMRS Board, oversee the statewide 911 charge, and distribute funds to local communications districts and CMRS providers; it also creates a Permanent Oversight Commission and requires periodic reporting and audits. Creates the statewide 911 charge that applies uniformly to all voice service connections and CMRS connections (with prepaid wireless charges phased in and governed by separate rules); the charge will fund E-911 and related services and will replace existing 911 fees or taxes. Creates the 911 Fund (effective October 1, 2012) to hold all revenues from the statewide charge, administers distributions to districts and CMRS providers, and establishes formulas (base and per-capita) for monthly distributions; it also earmarks a portion for CMRS Phase II wireless E-911 costs. Repeals several older provisions (11-98-5.1, 11-98-7.1, 11-98-8) and adds new sections governing prepaid wireless charges, long-term planning, audits, and sunset provisions for the board.

Who It Affects

• Residents and users of Alabama telephone and wireless services (including prepaid wireless) who will pay the statewide 911 charge on their bills; the charge is collected by service providers and used to fund E-911 and related enhancements.
• Local communications districts (ECDs) and CMRS providers, which will receive monthly disbursements from the 911 Fund to finance, operate, maintain, and upgrade E-911 systems (including Phase II), and participate in governance and reporting requirements.

Key Provisions

• Creation of the Statewide 911 Board (11-98-4.1) with 13 members, replacing the CMRS Board, to administer the statewide 911 charge, distribute funds, and oversee planning and implementation with a Permanent Oversight Commission and audit requirements.
• Imposition of a single statewide 911 charge (11-98-5) on all voice connections and CMRS connections (with specific limits and methods for counties of different sizes); the charge replaces all other 911 fees or taxes and is collected by service providers and remitted to the 911 Board.
• Establishment of the 911 Fund (11-98-5.2) effective October 1, 2012, to hold revenues, fund administrative costs, and distribute monthly payments to districts and CMRS providers based on base distribution and per-capita formulas; includes a provision for 20 percent of CMRS charges to fund wireless Phase II costs.
• Introduction of prepaid wireless 911 charges (11-98-5.3) with collection, remittance, administration, and audit rules managed through the Department of Revenue and the 911 bodies, including a 4 percent admin deduction and rate adjustments following changes to the statewide charge.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

E-911