CHAPTER 128
SENATE Substitute for HOUSE BILL No. 2945*
An  Act relating to telecommunications services; establishing the
enhanced 911 task force.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:

      Section  1. (a) There is hereby established an enhanced 911 task force
which shall develop a strategy for funding and deploying wireless emer-
gency telephone services. Such plan shall include suggestions for future
action by the legislature with respect to deploying efficient and econom-
ical enhanced 911 services and implementing equitable and adequate
means to fund such services. Specifically, the task force shall make rec-
ommendations and propose legislation, if appropriate, concerning the fol-
lowing: (1) The mechanism for administering wireless 911 service, with
a focus on whether such service shall be administered on a centralized
basis; (2) the possible formation of an oversight board to address future
technological, coordination and regulatory issues related to deployment
of wireless emergency telephone service; (3) the fairness and adequacy
of the mechanism for funding such service; (4) the method, if any, for
recovering costs incurred by public safety answering points and by wire-
less telecommunications service providers in providing emergency tele-
phone service; and (5) any other issues the task force deems relevant to
the deployment of emergency telephone service.

      (b) The task force shall consist of 14 members. Two members shall
be representatives of wireless telecommunications carriers to be ap-
pointed by the governor. The remainder of the task force shall be ap-
pointed as follows: One member representing a local exchange carrier
other than a rural telephone company and one member representing a
rural telephone company who shall be recommended by the Kansas tel-
ecommunications industry association. Two members shall be recom-
mended by the Kansas association of counties and two members shall be
recommended by the league of Kansas municipalities. One member shall
be a person with a communication disability recommended by the Kansas
commission for the deaf and hard of hearing. One member shall be rec-
ommended by the Kansas emergency medical services board. One mem-
ber shall be recommended by the Kansas association of fire chiefs. One
member shall be recommended by the Kansas association of chiefs of
police. The names of the recommended members shall be transmitted to
the governor for final approval. No such recommended member shall
serve unless approved by the governor. The remaining members of the
task force shall include: The superintendent of the highway patrol or the
superintendent's designee; the chair of the state corporation commission
or the chair's designee. The governor shall designate one member as chair
of the task force. All meetings shall be on call of the chair. All task force
members shall serve without compensation.

      (c) The task force shall report its findings and conclusion to the house
committee on utilities and the senate committee on commerce during
the first week of the 2001 legislative session. The state corporation com-
mission shall provide staff support to the task force as necessary. Such
staff shall prepare the report and any legislation recommended by the
task force.

      (d) The task force shall be and is hereby abolished on July 1, 2001.
      Sec.  2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the Kansas register.

Approved April 20, 2000.
 Published in the Kansas Register April 27, 2000.
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