The bill amends several sections of the Idaho Code related to the Emergency Communications Act, specifically focusing on the emergency communications fee and the establishment of the Idaho Emergency Communications Fund. It revises the emergency communications fee to be a uniform amount of one dollar ($1.00) per month per access or interconnected VoIP service line, which will be used exclusively for financing emergency communications systems and reimbursing telecommunications providers for their implementation costs. The bill also mandates that fees collected must be audited by an independent third-party auditor to ensure accuracy and completeness. Additionally, it specifies that telecommunications providers must remit these fees to the county treasurer within fifteen days after the end of each quarter.

Furthermore, the bill establishes the Idaho Emergency Communications Fund, which will consist of various sources of revenue, including the emergency communications fees. It allows for the collection of an enhanced emergency communications grant fee of twenty-five cents (25¢) per month per access or interconnected VoIP service line, which must also be remitted to the fund within fifteen days after the end of a quarter. The fund is continuously appropriated for the purposes outlined in the chapter, and the commission is responsible for authorizing disbursements to eligible entities. The bill declares an emergency, making it effective immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 31-4804, 31-4818, 31-4819