SB 24-139

Senate Bill 24-139 creates a new entity called the 911 Services Enterprise within Colorado’s Department of Regulatory Agencies. This enterprise will be allowed to charge users of 911 services up to $0.50 per month, with the collected funds going towards improving and securing 911 services across the state, including training programs, public education campaigns, cybersecurity measures, and more. The bill was signed into law by the governor on May 31, 2024, and will take effect on August 7, 2024. This means that starting in August, Colorado residents who use 911 services will see a small fee added to their bills to support these improvements.

Official Summary

The act creates the 911 services enterprise in the department of regulatory agencies (enterprise). The enterprise is authorized to impose a fee on service users (fee). A service user is a person who is provided a 911 access connection in the state. The fee is set annually by the enterprise and, together with the 911 surcharge that the public utilities commission (commission) imposes on service users for the benefit of meeting the needs of governing bodies to pay for basic emergency service and provide emergency telephone service (911 surcharge) and must not exceed $0.50 per month per 911 access connection. The fee is collected in the same manner as the 911 surcharge. Revenue from the fee will fund expenses and costs related to the provision of 911 services, including: Training initiatives and programs and public education campaigns for the public as determined by individual governing bodies or public safety answering points (PSAPs) throughout the state; Public education campaigns; Cybersecurity support; GIS programs; Grant programs for the benefit of governing bodies and PSAPs; Providing matching money for federal, state, or private grants related to 911 services or emergency notification services; Any other items related to a benefit for governing bodies and PSAPs for 911 services across the state as proposed by a group of such entities or by statewide associations representing Colorado 911 stakeholders; and Administrative expenses of the enterprise. The act also creates the 911 services enterprise cash fund, adds a requirement for the commission to include in its "state of 911" annual report the activity of the enterprise including its use of its revenue, and makes several technical updates to the statutes concerning the 911 surcharge and the commission's "state of 911" report. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $107,695 from the general fund to the department of regulatory agencies and reappropriates $38,406 of that appropriation to the department of law to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor May 31, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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