SENATE, No. 497
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
INTRODUCED JANUARY 22, 1996
By Senator BENNETT
An Act concerning the 9-1-1 commission and amending P.L.1989, c.3.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.1989, c.3 (C.52:17C-2) is amended to read as follows:
2. a. There is created in the Department of Law and Public Safety a commission to be known as the 9-1-1 Commission which shall oversee the office in the planning, design, and implementation of the Statewide emergency enhanced 9-1-1 telephone system to be established pursuant to this act. The commission shall consist of 26 members as follows: two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, who shall not be both of the same political party; two members of the General Assembly, appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, who shall not be both of the same political party; the following members ex officio: Attorney General of the State of New Jersey; President of the Board of Public Utilities; Superintendent of State Police; Deputy Director of the State Office of Emergency Management in the Department of Law and Public Safety; Director of the Bureau of Fire Safety in the Department of Community Affairs; Director of Emergency Medical Services in the Division of Community Health Services of the Department of Health; the Administrator of the Office of Telecommunications and Information Systems in the Department of the Treasury; the following public members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate: a representative of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities; a representative of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police; a representative of the Fire Fighters' Association of New Jersey; a representative of the New Jersey First Aid Council; a representative of the Associated Public Safety Communications Officers (APCO); a representative of [the New Jersey Bell Co.] Bell Atlantic-New Jersey; a representative of the independent telephone companies; two members representing county-wide dispatch centers; one representative of the Sheriffs Association of New Jersey; one representative of the New Jersey Fire Chiefs Association; two members representing multi-municipal public safety dispatch centers who serve more than one, but less than five municipalities; and two members representing municipal public safety dispatch centers.
The members of the Senate and General Assembly appointed to the commission shall serve for terms which shall be for the term for which they were elected. Of the public members first appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, five shall be appointed for terms of three years, five shall be appointed for terms of two years, and five shall be appointed for terms of one year. Thereafter, the public members of the commission shall be appointed for terms of three years. Vacancies on the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment but for the unexpired term. Members may be removed by the appointing authority for cause. The initial members shall be appointed within 30 days of the operative date of this act. The commission shall have the authority to establish subcommittees as it deems appropriate to carry out the purposes of this act.
b. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation but the public and legislative members shall be entitled to reimbursement for expenses incurred in performance of their duties, within the limits of any funds appropriated or otherwise made available for that purpose.
c. Each ex officio member may designate an employee of the member's department or agency to represent the member at meetings or hearings of the commission. All designees may lawfully vote and otherwise act on behalf of the members for whom they constitute the designees.
d. [The commission shall expire on the first day of the first month following the Statewide implementation of the operation of the enhanced 9-1-1 service as shall be determined by the Attorney General] Deleted by amendment, P.L. , c. (now pending before the Legislature as this bill).
(cf: P.L.1989, c.3, s.2)
2. Section 3 of P.L.1989, c.3 (C.52:17C-3) is amended to read as follows:
3. a. There is established in the Department of Law and Public Safety an Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services.
b. The office shall be under the immediate supervision of a director, who shall be a person qualified by training and experience to direct the work of the office. The director shall administer the provisions of this act subject to review by the commission and shall perform other duties as may be provided by law. The director shall be appointed by the Attorney General, but the commission shall advise the Attorney General on the qualifications of the director. The Attorney General is authorized to appoint, in accordance with Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes, clerical, technical, and professional assistants, and also may designate any available personnel as shall be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
The office shall, subject to review by the commission, [or the Attorney General, only as provided in subsection c. of this section,] and in consultation with the telephone companies and the Board of Public Utilities, and with the assistance of the Office of Telecommunications and Information Systems in the Department of the Treasury, plan, design, implement, and coordinate the Statewide emergency enhanced 9-1-1 telephone system to be established pursuant to this act.
To this end the office shall establish, after review and approval by the commission, a State plan for the emergency enhanced 9-1-1 system in this State, which plan shall include:
(1) The configuration of, and requirements for, the enhanced 9-1-1 network. The office with the approval of the commission[, or the Attorney General, only as provided herein,] and assistance and advice of the Office of Telecommunications and Information Systems in the Department of the Treasury is empowered to enter into contracts with the telephone companies for the provision of this network.
(2) The role and responsibilities of the counties and municipalities of the State in the implementation of the system, consistent with the provisions of this act, including a timetable for implementation.
(3) Technical and operational standards for the establishment of public safety answering points (PSAPs) which utilize enhanced 9-1-1 network features in accordance with the provisions of this act. Those entities having responsibility for the creation and management of PSAPs shall conform to these standards in the design, implementation and operation of the PSAPs. These standards shall include provision for the training and certification of call-takers and public safety dispatchers or for the adoption of such a program.
The State plan shall be established within 270 days of the operative date of this act except that the technical and operational standards specified in paragraph (3) of this subsection shall be established within 180 days of the operative date of this act.
The office, after review and approval by the commission, [or the Attorney General, only as provided herein,] may update and revise the State plan from time to time.
The office may inspect each PSAP to determine if it meets the requirements of this act and the technical and operational standards established pursuant to this section. The office shall explore ways to maximize the reliability of the system.
The plan or any portion of it may be implemented by the adoption of regulations pursuant to subsection b. of section 15 of this act.
The office shall plan, implement and coordinate a Statewide public education program designed to generate public awareness at all levels of the emergency enhanced 9-1-1 system. Advertising and display of 9-1-1 shall be in accordance with standards established by the office. Advertising expenses may be defrayed from the moneys appropriated to the office.
The office, after review and approval by the commission, [or the Attorney General, only as provided herein,] shall submit a report to the Senate Revenue, Finance and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Appropriations Committee, or their successors, not later than February 15 of each year, concerning its progress in carrying out this act and the expenditure of moneys appropriated thereto and appropriated for the purposes of installation of the Statewide enhanced 9-1-1 network.
c. [Upon the expiration of the commission, the Attorney General shall be responsible for the review and approval of any function of the office which was the responsibility of the commission] Deleted by amendment, P.L. ,c. (now pending before the Legislature as this bill).
(cf: P.L.1989, c.3, s.3)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Under the provisions of this bill, the 9-1-1 commission established pursuant to P.L.1989, c.3 (C.52:17C-1 et seq.) would become a permanent commission which would oversee the enhanced 9-1-1 emergency telephone system on a continuing basis. Under current law, the commission would expire shortly after enhanced 9-1-1 service is implemented Statewide.
The bill reflects the name change of the New Jersey Bell Co. to Bell Atlantic - New Jersey.
Provides for permanent 9-1-1 commission.