Enhanced Wireless 911 HB 27

Montana Legislature alert. (I'll add this to all post that are very strictly about the Legislature for those not interested.)<br />nWith the Montana Legislature in session I have been paging through the <a href="http://laws.leg.mt.gov/pls/laws07/LAW0217W$BAIV.return_all_bills">bills proposed</a> and a few caught my eye. Here is one.<br />n<br />n<a href="http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2007/billhtml/HB0027.htm">HB 27</a><br />n<br />nEstablish wireless enhanced 9-1-1 system<br />n<br />n<blockquote>A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT AUTHORIZING A WIRELESS ENHANCED 9-1-1 EMERGENCY TELEPHONE SYSTEM AND PROVIDING FOR ITS ADMINISTRATION; PROVIDING FOR FUNDING OF THE SYSTEM BY LEVYING A WIRELESS ENHANCED 9-1-1 FEE; ESTABLISHING ACCOUNTS FOR THE DEPOSIT OF FEES COLLECTED; PROVIDING FOR DISTRIBUTION OF THE FEES COLLECTED; DEFINING ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR WIRELESS COST RECOVERY</blockquote><br />n<br />nThe way I understand it the wireless enhanced 911 is a federal thing so the states have to come up with the appropriate laws to handle it. Wireless enhanced 911 service Phase I allows the authorities to track a 911 call from a wireless phone to a specific tower area and Phase II when it comes will allow the authorities to pinpoint a call to about 300 feet. The 911 service is a good thing and is nothing to complain about but one thing caught my eye in this bill.<br />n<br />n<blockquote>(c) for wireless enhanced 9-1-1 services, a fee of 50 cents a month per access line or subscriber in the state is imposed on the amount charged for telephone exchange access services, wireless telephone service, or other 9-1-1 accessible services.</blockquote><br />n<br />nIf I understand this section right even non wireless phone lines, telephone exchange access services, are going to pay 50 cents per line to establish this wireless enhanced 911 service. About half the money a customer pays for wireless enhanced 911 service goes to the wireless carriers to maintain the service. So, you don't even have to own a cell phone to help pay for 911 service to people who have cell phones and the money you are paying goes to the cell companies. Something just seems weird about this to me. Why should a non cell phone user be taxed to pay for 911 service for cell phone users?<br />n<br />nReferred to the House Federal Relations, Energy, and Telecommunications Committee. Hearings are scheduled for 1/8/2007.