NEWS Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D. C. 20554 This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974). News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: November 8, 2011 Lauren Kravetz, (202) 418-7944 Email: Lauren.Kravetz@fcc.gov FCC RELEASES THIRD ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS ON STATE COLLECTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF 911 AND ENHANCED 911 FEES AND CHARGES Public Safety Bureau Also Issues Public Notice to Collect Additional Information on State Use of 911/E911 Fees Washington, D.C. – The Federal Communications Commission today released its third annual report regarding states that have diverted any portion of the 911 fees they collect for purposes other than 911 programs. The Report to Congress on State Collection and Distribution of 911 and Enhanced 911 Fees and Charges was submitted to Congress on November 1, 2011. The Commission submits this report annually pursuant to the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008 (NET 911 Act). The information contained in the report is based on information provided to the Commission by states and U.S. territories regarding their collection and expenditure of fees or charges to support 911 or Enhanced 911 (E911) services. This year's report identifies seven states that, in part, used some portion of 911 fees for non-911 purposes in 2010. This represents a decline in the number of states that reported diverting 911 fees for non-911 purposes in previous years: the Commission’s first annual report in 2009 identified 12 states that had diverted 911 funds, while the second annual report in 2010 identified 13 states that had diverted funds. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said, “The good news this year is that the number of states diverting 9-1-1 funds to purposes other than public safety is going down. As we move towards a next-generation 9- 1-1 system, the FCC is today seeking input on how to most effectively use 9-1-1 fees to enable the transition to sending text, video and photos to 9-1-1, and on recommendations to Congress to ensure that its laws have real teeth.” Specifically, Arizona, Illinois, Oregon and Rhode Island diverted 911 fees to their state’s general fund. Virginia and West Virginia used the diverted fees for other public safety-related purposes. South Dakota could not provide expenditure information at this time. In conjunction with release of this year’s report, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau issued a Public Notice proposing to collect more detailed information from states and U.S. territories regarding their collection and use of 911 fees, including whether such fees are or can be used to support Next Generation 911 (NG911) initiatives. The Public Notice also seeks comment on whether the FCC should recommend potential legislative changes to Congress that would provide greater accountability in the collection and expenditure of 911 funds. 1 2 Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Chief, James Arden Barnett, Jr., Rear Admiral (Ret.) said, “We are pleased that this year’s report indicates that a smaller number of states are diverting 911 funds than in previous years. However, fee diversion remains a concern, and we are committed to improving our information collection and reporting to ensure transparency and accountability in 911 fee collections and expenditures as Congress intended.” To learn more about this year’s report, visit www.fcc.gov or follow us on Twitter @FCC. --FCC-- News and other information about the FCC is available at www.fcc.gov