Proposed Fee from Prepaid Cell Phones to Fund 911 Call Centers

Municipal 911 call centers like City of Decatur’s would receive more state money from a bill now making its way through the Georgia House of Representatives.

House Bill 256 would raise an estimated $8 million to $20 million that would be distributed among the state’s 911 centers, according to the Association County Commissioners of Georgia. The money would be collected from a 75-cent 911 call fee on prepaid cell phones and prepaid minutes.

“The fees would be collected at the point of sale,” said state Rep. Wendell Willard, (R-Sandy Springs), who authored the bill. “There’s been a similar system in place for years, that was originally designed to help fund our state’s 911 centers, but that money has been going into Georgia’s general fund.

“This bill is designed to rectify that situation,” said Willard, who chairs the influential House Judiciary Committee.

The bill also has the support of House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, (D-Decatur).

Decatur’s 911 center covers the 4.4-square-mile municipality. Decatur's daytime population, when DeKalb County government is fully staffed along with businesses in the city limits, is approximately 70,000.

According to Decatur Police Chief Mike Booker's office, Decatur’s 911 center covers a 4.4-square-mile community; its daytime population, when DeKalb County government is fully staffed along with businesses in the city limits, is approximately 70,000. With two to three operators per shift, a total of 11 people are employed by the center. In 2010, the call center answered approximately 87,000 emergency and non-emergency calls. Of those, 13,884 were 911 calls.

Legislation was passed in 2008 to assess a 911-service fee of $1.50 on prepaid wireless phones. To date, about $28 million has been collected.

“But not one cent has been used for its intended purpose – helping 911 centers – but has instead been deposited in the state general fund and used for other purposes,” said Beth Brown, director of communications for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia.

“As the market for cell phones and telephone land lines shifts, the resources for the operation of 911 centers have declined,” said Brown, whose organization has identified HB256 as one of its legislative priorities. “It is estimated that prepaid wireless phones now represent over 20 percent of the overall wireless cell phone market.”

Currently, the bill is in the House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee.

If it becomes law, the new revenue would not be distributed evenly among all 911 centers, but based on the size of a jurisdiction’s population.

“But it’s safe to say that those centers with a higher volume of calls, such as those in metro Atlanta, would receive more of the revenue,” Willard said.