New legislation aims to address 911-funding sources

Three local Missouri lawmakers’ actions seek to alter funding for 911 operations.

Wayne Wallingford

State Sen. Wayne Wallingford, R-Cape Girardeau, state Rep. Kathy Swan, R-Cape Girardeau, and state Rep. Barry Hovis, R-Gordonville, have each introduced legislation.

Kathy Swan

In Missouri, more than 180 public safety answering points, or PSAPs, operate independently. The City of Jackson and Cape Girardeau County’s PSAPs are set to physically consolidate later this year, and the City of Cape Girardeau’s PSAP will consolidate virtually with that newly-created PSAP.

Barry Hovis

By state law, the PSAPs are funded by an 8 percent sales tax on landline phones, which are dwindling in number. Meanwhile, expenses related to the 911 technology continue to rise, so revenue fails to cover expenses in many cases.

In 2007, revenue in Cape Girardeau County for 911 was $579,000 and expenses were $251,000, according to a report by Ken Eftink. But in 2017, revenue was $366,000 and expenses were $528,000.

Last fall, HB 1456 was passed, allowing each county in Missouri to decide how to fund 911 services.

According to the Missouri Department of Public Safety’s website, the law allows for a charge on prepaid wireless service, not the device itself.

Additionally, the law allows counties to impose a monthly fee of up to $1 on subscribers of any communications service enabled to contact 911, such as landlines, non-prepaid wireless service and Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, lines unless a tax is already in place.

This fee is only effective if approved by a county’s voters.

Wallingford’s bill, among other actions, adds language to existing laws: Sales tax could be collected on prepaid wireless telecommunications devices after the first $15.

The bill is similar to HB 883, introduced last month by Swan.

Both bills have been read a second time, but neither is scheduled for a hearing, according to online records.

Hovis describes his bill, HB 1249, as a “placeholder,” and if passed, would allow counties to put a measure before voters to impose a 1-cent sales tax to fund 911 services.

Under the existing statute, Hovis said, if the county commission decides to put a sales tax initiative before voters to fund 911 services, Cape Girardeau County would need to elect a 911 advisory board. That would raise costs, Hovis said, since the 911 advisory board is now an appointed body, and elections have expenses.

Hovis said if Wallingford’s bill is successful, HB 1249 won’t be necessary, but it can be brought out of committee.

“I had to file it because the filing date ended,” Hovis said, noting if he hadn’t filed it, he’d have had to wait for the next session to introduce a bill.

“I know people appreciate the 911 system, and I know it takes money to upgrade the system,” Hovis said, adding, “Revenue is shrinking every year.”

Hovis said he is waiting to hear from the county commissioners to tell him whether this legislation is needed this session. The bill has been read a first and second time, and a committee is lined up that would hear it, he said.

“If the sales tax option is a tool the county citizens want to use as opposed to phone usage, then we leave those avenues open,” Hovis said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630