Mississippi Emergency Communications Authority Act; bring forward.

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To: Technology
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) DeLano, Blackmon

SENATE BILL NO. 2650

AN ACT TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 19-5-381, 19-5-383, 1
19-5-385, 19-5-387, 19-5-389, 19-5-391, 19-5-393, 19-5-395, 2
19-5-397, 9-5-399, 19-5-401, 19-5-403, 19-5-405, 19-5-407, 3
19-5-409, 19-5-411, 19-5-413, 19-5-415, 19-5-305, 19-5-307, 4
19-5-315, 19-5-317, 33-15-14, AND 19-5-339, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 5
1972, FOR PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED 6
PURPOSES. 7
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 8
SECTION 1. Section 19-5-381, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 9
brought forward as follows: 10
19-5-381. Sections 19-5-381 through 19-5-415 shall be known 11
and may be cited as the "Mississippi Emergency Communications 12
Authority Act." 13
SECTION 2. Section 19-5-383, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 14
brought forward as follows: 15
19-5-383. As used in Sections 19-5-381 through 19-5-415, the 16
following terms shall have the following meanings, unless the 17
context clearly indicates otherwise: 18
(a) "Authority" means the Mississippi Emergency 19
Communications Authority. The authority is a subdivision of the 20
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Mississippi Emergency Management Agency for all purposes and 21
reports directly to the MEMA Executive Director. The director of 22
the authority shall be the Emergency Management Communications 23
Coordinator of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). 24
(b) "Advisory board" or "board" means the Mississippi 25
Emergency Communication Authority (MECA) Advisory Board as 26
appointed in Section 19-5-387. 27
(c) "ECD" means an emergency communications district 28
created pursuant to Section 19-5-301 et seq., or by a local and 29
private act of the State of Mississippi. 30
(d) "Public safety answering point" or "PSAP" means an 31
entity responsible for receiving 911 calls and processing those 32
calls according to a specific operational policy. 33
(e) "Commercial mobile radio service provider" or "CMRS 34
provider" has the same meaning as defined in 47 CFR 9.3. 35
(f) "NG911" means Next Generation 911: a secure, 36
internet protocol (IP)-based, open-standards system comprised of 37
hardware, software, data and operational policies and procedures. 38
NG911 is designed to provide access to emergency services from all 39
connected communications sources and to provide multimedia data 40
capabilities for Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) and other 41
emergency service organizations. NG911: 42
(i) Provides standardized interfaces from 43
emergency call and message services to support emergency 44
communications; 45
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(ii) Processes all types of emergency calls, 46
including voice, text, data and multimedia information; 47
(iii) Acquires and integrates additional emergency 48
call data useful to call routing and handling; 49
(iv) Delivers the emergency calls, messages, and 50
data to the appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and 51
other appropriate emergency entities based on the location of the 52
caller; 53
(v) Supports data, video and other communications 54
needs for coordinated incident response and management; and 55
(vi) Interoperates with services and networks used 56
by first responders (and other 911 systems) to facilitate 57
emergency response. 58
(g) "Emergency Communications Public Safety Trust Fund" 59
means the funds remitted to the Department of Revenue and 60
deposited into the Emergency Communications Service Charge Fund 61
that through contract or memorandum of understanding with the 62
Mississippi Emergency Communication Authority are transmitted to 63
ECDs. 64
(h) "Emergency communications service charge" means the 65
emergency communications service charge levied, maintained and 66
collected according to Sections 19-5-381 through 19-5-415. 67
(i) "Distribution formula" means the formula created in 68
Section 19-5-385 by which monies generated from the emergency 69
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communications service charge are distributed to local ECDs and to 70
the authority. 71
(j) "Exchange access facility" means all lines provided 72
by the service supplier for the provision of local exchange 73
service as defined in existing general subscriber services 74
tariffs. 75
(k) "Place of primary use" means the street address 76
where the consumer's use of communications services primarily 77
occurs, which must be either the residential street address or the 78
primary business street address of the consumer. When location of 79
primary use is impractical to determine, the physical address for 80
billing may be used. 81
(l) "Service supplier" means any person providing 82
exchange telephone service to any service user throughout a 83
county. 84
(m) "Consumer" means a person who purchases retail 85
communications service or prepaid wireless telecommunications 86
service in a retail transaction. 87
(n) "Prepaid wireless emergency communications services 88
charge" means the charge that is required to be collected by a 89
seller from a consumer in the amount established under Section 90
19-5-385. 91
(o) "Prepaid wireless communications service" means a 92
wireless communications service that allows a caller to access a 93
PSAP through a placed call or wireless data connection. Such 94
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service must be paid for in advance and is sold in predetermined 95
units or dollars of which the number declines with use in a known 96
amount. 97
(p) "Service provider" means an entity which provides a 98
service that allows the two-way transmission, conveyance or 99
routing of voice, data, audio, video or any information of 100
signals, including cable and internet protocol services, to a 101
point or between or among points by or through any electronic, 102
radio, satellite, cable, optical, microwave or other medium or 103
method in existence on or after the effective date of this 104
definition, regardless of protocol used for the transmission or 105
conveyance. This definition applies only if that service is 106
capable of contacting a PSAP by entering or dialing the digits 911 107
and is subject to applicable federal or state requirements to 108
provide the 911 dialing capability. The term does not include 109
wireless and internet-protocol-enabled services that are exempt 110
from Federal Communications Commission regulations for 911 111
communications service, 911 service and NG911 service. 112
(q) "Seller" means a person who sells prepaid wireless 113
telecommunications service to another person. 114
(r) "Retail transaction" means the purchase of prepaid 115
wireless telecommunications service from a seller for any purpose 116
other than resale. A retail transaction that is effected in 117
person by a consumer at a business location of the seller shall be 118
treated as occurring in this state if that business location is in 119
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this state, and any other retail transaction shall be treated as 120
occurring in this state if the retail transaction is treated as 121
occurring in this state for purposes of Section 122
27-65-19(1)(d)(v)3.c. 123
(s) "Internet protocol" or "IP" means the method by 124
which data is sent from one computer to another on the internet or 125
other networks. 126
(t) "Emergency Services IP Network" or "ESInet" means a 127
managed IP network that is used for emergency services 128
communications and can be shared by all public safety agencies. 129
ESInet provides the IP transport infrastructure upon which 130
independent application platforms and core services can be 131
deployed, including, but not restricted to, those necessary for 132
providing NG911 services. ESInets may be constructed from a mix 133
of dedicated and shared facilities. ESInets may be interconnected 134
at local, regional, state, federal, national and international 135
levels to form an IP-based internetwork, or a network of networks. 136
ESInet is the designation for the network but not for services 137
provided by the network. 138
(u) "Geographic information system" or "GIS" means a 139
system for capturing, storing, displaying, analyzing and managing 140
data and associated attributes which are spatially referenced. 141
(v) "State NG911 Plan" means a comprehensive strategy 142
developed by the state to transition from 911 to Next Generation 143
911 technology. 144
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(w) "NG911 CMRS Grant Fund" means the fund established 145
in Section 19-5-393. 146
(x) "ECD NG911 implementation fund" means a fund 147
established in each individual ECD for the purpose of NG911 148
implementation. 149
(y) "Operations fund" means a fund established to cover 150
operational expenses for the ECD for capital improvements, normal 151
operations, and provision of PSAP services. 152
(z) "State NG911 Fund" means a fund specifically used 153
to implement, deploy, maintain and upgrade as necessary a 154
statewide NG911 Services Network, activities and/or infrastructure 155
and other duties of the Mississippi Emergency Communications 156
Authority as set forth in Sections 19-5-381 through 19-5-415 and 157
consistent with the State NG911 Plan. 158
(aa) "Location" means a single physical address. 159
(bb) "Department" means the Mississippi Department of 160
Revenue. 161
SECTION 3. Section 19-5-385, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 162
brought forward as follows: 163
19-5-385. There is established the Mississippi Emergency 164
Communications Authority as an instrumentality of the state. The 165
authority and service providers shall work in cooperation with 166
state and local governments to create a technical and operational 167
framework for implementing and operating an interoperable and 168
interconnected NG911 public safety network. The authority may 169
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contract and be contracted with and defend and bring actions, 170
including, but not limited to, invoking a private right of action 171
to enforce this act. The authority shall exist within the 172
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency for all operational 173
purposes. The Executive Director of MEMA shall be the ultimate 174
authority and administrative head of the Mississippi Emergency 175
Communications Authority. The Executive Director of MEMA shall 176
select a director to manage the authority. Such director shall be 177
responsible for ensuring that the authority remains compliant with 178
applicable state and federal programs and law. All employees of 179
the authority, including the appointed director, shall serve at 180
the will and pleasure of the Executive Director of MEMA. 181
SECTION 4. Section 19-5-387, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 182
brought forward as follows: 183
19-5-387. (1) Management of the authority shall be vested 184
in the director, with an advisory board to offer technical 185
guidance and recommendations, which shall consist of the following 186
members: 187
(a) The Commissioner of Public Safety, or his or her 188
designee; 189
(b) One (1) member appointed by the Governor selected 190
from two (2) nominees submitted by the GIS Coordinating Council; 191
(c) One (1) member appointed by the Governor selected 192
from two (2) nominees submitted by the Mississippi 911 193
Coordinators Association; 194
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(d) One (1) member appointed by the Governor selected 195
from two (2) nominees submitted by the Mississippi Chapter of the 196
Association of Public Safety Communications Officials; 197
(e) One (1) member appointed by the Governor selected 198
from two (2) nominees submitted by the Mississippi Chapter of the 199
National Emergency Number Association; 200
(f) One (1) member appointed by the Lieutenant 201
Governor, selected from two (2) nominees submitted by the 202
Mississippi Association of Supervisors, who shall be an elected 203
member of a county board of supervisors; 204
(g) One (1) member appointed by the Lieutenant 205
Governor, selected from two (2) nominees submitted by the 206
Mississippi Association of Supervisors, who is one of either a 207
county manager, county administrator or finance officer from a 208
county that operates or contracts for the operation of a public 209
safety answering point; 210
(h) One (1) member appointed by the Governor, selected 211
from two (2) nominees submitted by Mississippi Emergency Medical 212
Services; 213
(i) One (1) member appointed by the Lieutenant 214
Governor, selected from two (2) nominees submitted by the 215
Mississippi Municipal League, who is an elected member of a 216
municipal governing authority, city manager, city administrator, 217
or finance officer from a municipality that operates or contracts 218
for the operation of a public safety answering point; 219
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(j) One (1) member appointed by the Governor who shall 220
be from the telecommunications industry; 221
(k) One (1) member appointed by the Lieutenant 222
Governor, selected from two (2) nominees submitted by the 223
Mississippi Sheriffs' Association, who is a sheriff responsible 224
for managing a public safety answering point; 225
(l) One (1) police chief appointed by the Governor, 226
selected from two (2) nominees submitted by the Mississippi 227
Association of Chiefs of Police, who is serving a local 228
government; and 229
(m) One (1) fire chief appointed by the Lieutenant 230
Governor, selected from two (2) nominees submitted by the 231
Mississippi Fire Chiefs Association, who is serving a local 232
government. 233
(2) The initial term for appointments made pursuant to 234
paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) of subsection (1) of 235
this section shall be from July 1, 2025, until June 30, 2028. 236
These initial appointments shall be made by July 1, 2025. The 237
initial term for appointments made pursuant to paragraphs (h), 238
(i), (j), (k), (l) and (m) of subsection (1) of this section shall 239
be from July 1, 2025, until June 30, 2027. All subsequent terms 240
shall be for three (3) years. Any vacancies that occur prior to 241
the end of a term shall be filled by appointment in the same 242
manner as the original appointment and shall be for the remainder 243
of the unexpired term. Any vacancy occurring on the board, 244
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whether for an expired or unexpired term, shall be filled by 245
appointment as soon as practicable after the vacancy occurs. Upon 246
expiration of his or her term of office, a board member shall 247
continue to serve until his or her successor has been duly 248
appointed and qualified. Members may be appointed to successive 249
terms. Appointments made at times when the Senate is not in 250
session shall be effective immediately ad interim, and appointees 251
shall serve until the Senate acts on the appointment as provided 252
herein. Any appointments made while the Senate is not in session 253
shall be submitted to the Senate not later than the third 254
legislative day following the reconvening of the Legislature. In 255
the event the Senate fails or refuses to act on the appointment, 256
the person whose name was submitted shall continue to serve until 257
action is taken on the appointment by the Senate. 258
(3) The board may appoint additional ex officio nonvoting 259
members to serve in an advisory role to the board. Such advisers 260
shall not be counted in ascertaining if a quorum is present. Such 261
members shall include, but shall not be limited to: 262
(a) Two (2) representatives of MEMA: 263
(i) One (1) shall be employed by MEMA in a legal 264
capacity; and 265
(ii) One (1) shall be employed by MEMA in an 266
accounting capacity; 267
(b) The Chairman of the Senate Technology Committee, or 268
his or her designee; 269
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(c) The Chairman of the House of Representatives 270
Technology Committee, or his or her designee; 271
(d) The Chairman of the Senate Appropriations 272
Committee, or his or her designee; and 273
(e) The Chairman of a House of Representative 274
Appropriations Committee, or his or her designee, to be chosen by 275
the Speaker of the House. 276
(4) Members of the advisory board shall receive no 277
compensation for their services, but the authority may reimburse 278
members from funds of the authority as provided by state law for 279
travel associated with their service. Such amount shall not 280
exceed the reimbursement authorized for state officers and 281
employees in Section 25-3-41. 282
(5) Seven (7) members of the advisory board shall constitute 283
a quorum, and the affirmative votes of a majority of a quorum 284
shall be required for any action to be taken by the board. 285
(6) The director of the authority shall convene the initial 286
meeting of the board no later than August 1, 2025, at which time 287
the board shall elect one (1) of its members as chairperson. In 288
addition, the board shall elect a vice chairperson, a secretary 289
and a treasurer from among its membership. 290
(7) The advisory board shall promulgate bylaws and may adopt 291
other procedures for governing its affairs and for discharging its 292
duties as permitted or required by law, as well as applicable 293
rules and regulations, provided that the director has ultimate 294
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authority for approving, denying or modifying such bylaws and 295
procedures. 296
SECTION 5. Section 19-5-389, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 297
brought forward as follows: 298
19-5-389. (1) Along with the department, the authority 299
shall administer, receive and audit emergency communications 300
service charges for the benefit of the State NG911 Plan and ECDs 301
throughout the state, as specified in Sections 19-5-381 through 302
19-5-415, and on such terms and conditions as are in the best 303
interest of the operations of ECDs. 304
(2) On or before March 1, 2026, the authority shall develop, 305
establish and publish a defined scope, technical standards and 306
operational requirements for a State NG911 Plan. The authority 307
shall act as a statewide proprietor and resource for the 308
development, modification, and implementation of the State NG911 309
Plan. The authority shall have an exemption from state 310
procurement timelines and requirements for a period of three (3) 311
years in order to establish plans and functions. 312
(3) On or before September 30, 2026, the authority shall 313
publish minimum standards, specifications and requirements for 314
each ECD NG911 plan. The authority shall act as a statewide 315
proprietor and resource for the development, modification, and 316
approval of each ECD's NG911 implementation plan. 317
SECTION 6. Section 19-5-391, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 318
brought forward as follows: 319
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19-5-391. The authority shall have the duty and 320
responsibility to: 321
(a) Develop and adopt an annual budget for 322
implementation, management, upgrades, deployments, and operations 323
consistent with the State NG911 Plan. Such plan must be submitted 324
to and approved by the Legislative Budget Office; 325
(b) Apply for, receive, and use federal grants, state 326
grants or both; 327
(c) Study, evaluate and establish technology standards 328
for regional and statewide provision of a public safety 329
communications network and NG911 systems; 330
(d) Review and revise technology standards based on 331
orders and rulings by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); 332
(e) Identify and recommend any changes necessary to 333
accomplish a more effective, efficient and sustainable emergency 334
communication service across the state, including consolidation 335
and interoperability of PSAPs and/or 911 systems, recommending a 336
long-term plan for standardization of operational processes and 337
training, recommending any necessary legislation to implement the 338
long-term strategic State NG911 Plan, and reporting its 339
recommendations to the Legislature. The authority shall also make 340
its report of such proposed changes available to the Legislative 341
Services Offices of the Senate and the House of Representatives; 342
(f) Identify and recommend any changes necessary in the 343
assessment and collection of emergency communication service 344
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charges and provide a report to the Legislature. The authority 345
shall also make its report of such changes available to the 346
Legislative Services Office of the Senate and the House of 347
Representatives; 348
(g) Develop, offer or make recommendations to the 349
Mississippi Board of Emergency Telecommunications Standards and 350
Training according to Section 19-5-351 and other state agencies 351
about standardized training that should be provided to 352
telecommunicators, trainers, supervisors and directors of Public 353
Safety Answering Points; 354
(h) Recommend minimum standards for the operation of 355
public safety answering points, develop and implement an internal 356
quality assurance program and monitor local and regional PSAP 357
compliance with technical and operational standards, requirements 358
and practices; 359
(i) Collect data regarding the performance and 360
operation of public safety answering points and coordinate with 361
ECDs to provide technical assistance when requested; 362
(j) Identify any necessary changes or enhancements to 363
the State NG911; 364
(k) Establish policies and procedures to develop and 365
implement a plan to provide NG911 services statewide; 366
(l) Investigate Geographical Information Systems 367
Standards and mapping and incorporate them, as well as other 368
resources, into the State NG911 Plan; 369
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(m) Address any adverse findings noted in ECD financial 370
and program reports and to order such action as may be necessary 371
to remedy the adverse findings. Such remedies may include, but 372
not be limited to, withholding transfers from the Emergency 373
Communication Public Safety Trust Fund; and 374
(n) Develop a CMRS Implementation Grant Program to 375
provide the State NG911 Fund and ECDs competitive grants for NG911 376
implementation consistent with the State NG911 Plan and an 377
approved ECD NG911 plan. The authority shall develop a scoring 378
system for ECD applications based on completeness of application, 379
number of businesses and residences served, geographic area served 380
by the ECD, efficiency of operations and achievement of 381
consolidation of PSAPs. The scoring shall seek to promote a 382
reduction of statewide PSAPs. Upon appropriation by the 383
Legislature, funds available in the NG911 CMRS Grant Fund shall be 384
used for grant programs and amounts awarded to ECDs shall be 385
transferred to the ECD's NG911 Implementation Fund for the 386
purposes stated in Section 19-5-411. 387
SECTION 7. Section 19-5-393, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 388
brought forward as follows: 389
19-5-393. (1) There is created in the State Treasury a 390
special fund to be designated as the "NG911 CMRS Grant Fund." The 391
fund shall be maintained by the State Treasurer as a separate and 392
special fund, separate and apart from the General Fund of the 393
state. Subject to appropriation by the Legislature, monies in the 394
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fund shall be disbursed by the Mississippi Emergency Management 395
Agency only for capital improvements, equipment, software and 396
other expenses directly attributed to the implementation of 397
approved ECD NG911 plans, as well as for related purposes approved 398
by the authority. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the 399
end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, 400
and any interest earned or investment earnings on amounts in the 401
fund shall be deposited into such fund. 402
(2) Upon July 1, 2025, the existing CMRS board shall remit 403
to the NG911 CMRS Grant Fund all revenues accrued from the 404
existing accounts payable fund as established in Section 19-5-333. 405
SECTION 8. Section 19-5-395, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 406
brought forward as follows: 407
19-5-395. The authority shall: 408
(a) Require each ECD to submit a plan to implement a 409
NG911 program consistent with Sections 19-5-381 through 19-5-415. 410
The ECD may obtain technical assistance from the authority in 411
formulating its plan. Each NG911 plan shall: 412
(i) Be designed to meet the individual 413
circumstances of each community and public agency participating in 414
the ECD; and 415
(ii) Consider potential efficiencies achieved from 416
regionalization and consolidation. 417
Once the board reviews each ECD's plan for completeness and 418
compliance with the State NG911 Plan, the board shall vote to make 419
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a recommendation to the director. The director may either 420
approve, deny or remand the plan back to the board with notes for 421
further work. Upon final approval by the director, the board 422
shall certify the ECD NG911 plan for period of time as stated in 423
the State NG911 Plan; 424
(b) Identify and define all ECDs created in Section 425
19-5-315 throughout the state by geospatial layer. The authority 426
shall adopt a schedule of all zip codes plus four (4) designations 427
for ECDs in the state as required by the federal Universal 428
Sourcing Act. If any ECD has within its jurisdiction a zip code 429
designation that does not adhere to ECD boundary lines, such 430
affected ECDs shall assist the authority in determining the 431
appropriate allocation of Emergency Communications Public Safety 432
Trust Fund for each ECD for scheduling and distribution formula 433
purposes. The authority shall maintain a published map of all ECD 434
districts; 435
(c) Make and execute contracts, lease agreements, and 436
any other instrument necessary to exercise the powers of the 437
authority or to further the public purpose for which the authority 438
is created, including, but not limited to, professional services; 439
(d) Acquire by purchase, lease, or otherwise and hold, 440
lease, and dispose of real or personal property of every kind and 441
character, or any interest therein, in furtherance of the purpose 442
of the authority; 443
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(e) Apply for and accept any gifts or grants, loan 444
guarantees, loans of funds, property, or financial or other aid in 445
any form from the federal government, or any agency or 446
instrumentality thereof, the state government, or any agency or 447
instrumentality thereof, or any other source for any purpose 706 448
specified in Sections 19-5-381 through 19-5-415, and to comply, 449
subject to the provisions of Sections 19-5-381 through 19-5-415, 450
with the terms and conditions thereof; 451
(f) Deposit or otherwise invest funds held by the 452
authority in any state depository or in any authorized investment 453
of proceeds of state general obligation bonds and use such funds 454
for its corporate purposes or redeposit or reinvest interest 455
earned on such funds; 456
(g) Administer the NG911 CMRS Grant Fund and the State 457
NG911 Fund; 458
(h) Retain, during each calendar month, an amount not 459
to exceed seven percent (7%) of the total service charges remitted 460
to the department from the emergency communications service charge 461
and deposit such funds into a special fund established in the 462
State Treasury to be designated the "State NG911 Fund." The State 463
NG911 Fund shall be used for the purpose of administration and 464
operations of the authority and costs directly associated with the 465
implementation and/or maintenance of the State NG911 Plan. Monies 466
left in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall not lapse 467
into the General Fund, and interest earned on any amounts 468
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deposited into the fund shall be credited to the special fund. 469
All remaining monies in the Emergency Communications Service 470
Charge shall be deposited into the Emergency Communications Public 471
Safety Trust Fund as established hereinafter; 472
(i) Receive, manage and control the fund established in 473
the State Treasury designated as the "Emergency Communications 474
Public Safety Trust Fund" pursuant to Section 19-5-405. The 475
revenues which are deposited into the Emergency Communications 476
Public Safety Trust Fund shall not be monies or property of the 477
state and shall not be subject to appropriation by the 478
Legislature. Monies in the fund at the end of the fiscal year 479
shall not lapse into the General Fund. The Emergency 480
Communications Public Safety Trust Fund shall be deposited into an 481
insured, interest-bearing account, and interest earned shall be 482
credited to the special fund; 483
(j) Establish and maintain a distribution formula for 484
the department to make disbursements from the "Emergency 485
Communications Public Safety Trust Fund" to the ECDs. The 486
distribution formula shall be developed and maintained by the 487
advisory board to use all information acquired pursuant to Section 488
19-5-405 and any other creditable information available to ensure 489
accurate and fair distributions of the Emergency Communications 490
Public Safety Trust Fund to the benefit of each ECD, less the 491
provision in paragraph (i) of this subsection. Such formula for 492
wired, voice over IP and wireless shall be based on the zip code 493
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plus four (4) designations as required by the Universal Sourcing 494
Act and paragraph (b) of this subsection. Such formula shall also 495
include prepaid wireless emergency service charges according to 496
the following: The amount of the distribution shall be determined 497
by dividing the population of the communications district by the 498
state population, and then multiplying that quotient times the 499
total revenues remitted to the department after deducting the 500
amount authorized in this subsection. The advisory board shall 501
establish a stated process for amending, appealing and otherwise 502
managing the distribution formula. The director must approve the 503
distribution formula prior to formal implementation; 504
(k) Receive from the department and maintain a 505
registration database of all service providers and notify the 506
department as necessary of any provider that fails to comply with 507
the requirements of Sections 19-5-381 through 19-5-415; and 508
(l) Promulgate such rules and regulations as may be 509
necessary to effect the provisions of Sections 19-5-381 through 510
19-5-415. 511
SECTION 9. Section 19-5-397, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 512
brought forward as follows: 513
19-5-397. All monies received by the authority pursuant to 514
Sections 19-5-381 through 19-5-415 shall be deemed to be trust 515
funds to be held and applied solely as provided in Sections 516
19-5-381 through 19-5-415. 517
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SECTION 10. Section 19-5-399, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 518
brought forward as follows: 519
19-5-399. Sections 19-5-381 through 19-5-415, used for the 520
welfare of the state and its inhabitants, shall be liberally 521
construed to effect the purposes thereof. 522
SECTION 11. Section 19-5-401, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 523
brought forward as follows: 524
19-5-401. All information submitted to the authority or to 525
the department as required by Sections 19-5-381 through 19-5-415 526
shall be subject to review only by the authority and the 527
department. Further, notwithstanding any other provision of the 528
law, no information so submitted shall be subject to subpoena or 529
otherwise released to any person other than to the submitting 530
service provider, the authority, and the department without the 531
express permission of the department and the submitting service 532
provider. General information collected by the department shall 533
only be released or published in aggregate amounts which do not 534
identify or allow identification of numbers of subscribers or 535
revenues attributable to an individual service provider. 536
SECTION 12. Section 19-5-403, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 537
brought forward as follows: 538
19-5-403. The Attorney General shall provide legal services 539
for the authority 540
SECTION 13. Section 19-5-405, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 541
brought forward as follows: 542
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19-5-405. (1) Beginning January 1, 2026, the state hereby 543
levies an emergency communications service charge, and all service 544
providers shall remit such charge to the Department of Revenue in 545
an amount of Two Dollars ($2.00) per residential telephone 546
subscriber line per month, Two Dollars ($2.00) per commercial 547
telephone subscriber line per month for exchange telephone 548
service, Two Dollars ($2.00) per Voice over Internet Protocol 549
subscriber account per month, Two Dollars ($2.00) per CMRS 550
connection per month, and Two Dollars ($2.00) for a prepaid 551
wireless telecommunications service purchased in a retail 552
transaction. 553
(a) When a service provider delivers service to the 554
same person, business, or organization the voice channel capacity 555
to make more than one (1) simultaneous outbound call from an 556
exchange access facility, each such separate simultaneous outbound 557
call voice channel capacity, regardless of technology, shall 558
constitute a separate service. A broadband connection used for 559
telephone service shall not constitute a separate voice channel 560
capacity subscription for purposes of the emergency communication 561
service charge. 562
(b) When the same person, business, or organization has 563
several wireless telephones, each CMRS connection shall constitute 564
a separate service. 565
(c) No such emergency communications service charge 566
shall be imposed upon more than two hundred (200) exchange access 567
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facilities or Voice over Internet Protocol lines per location. 568
Trunks or service lines used to supply service to CMRS 569
infrastructure shall not have an emergency communications service 570
charge levied against them. 571
(d) For the department to compute the amount due under 572
this subsection, the number of emergency communications service 573
charges a consumer shall be assessed shall not exceed the number 574
of simultaneous outbound calls that can be made from voice 575
channels the service supplier has activated and enabled. For 576
service that provides shared simultaneous outbound voice channel 577
capacity configured to and capable of accessing a PSAP in 578
different states to multiple locations, the monthly emergency 579
communications service charge shall be assessed only for the 580
portion of such shared voice channel capacity in Mississippi as 581
identified by the service provider's books and records. In 582
determining the portion of the shared capacity in the state, the 583
department may rely on, among other factors, a customer's 584
certification of its allocation of capacity in Mississippi, which 585
may be based on each end user location, the total number of end 586
users, and the number of end users at each end user location. 587
(e) (i) For prepaid wireless communications service, 588
the emergency communications service charge shall be collected by 589
the seller from the consumer with respect to each retail 590
transaction occurring in this state. The amount of the emergency 591
communications service charge shall be either separately stated on 592
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an invoice, receipt or other similar document that is provided to 593
the consumer by the seller, or otherwise disclosed to the 594
consumer. 595
(ii) The prepaid wireless emergency service charge 596
is the liability of the consumer and not of the seller or of any 597
service provider, except that the seller shall be liable to remit 598
all prepaid wireless emergency service charges that the seller 599
collects from consumers as provided in subsection (1) of this 600
section, including all such charges that the seller is deemed to 601
have collected where the amount of the charge has not been 602
separately stated on an invoice, receipt or other similar document 603
provided to the consumer by the seller. 604
(iii) A seller shall be permitted to deduct and 605
retain two percent (2%) of prepaid wireless emergency 606
communications service charges that are collected by the seller 607
from consumers. 608
(iv) The department shall pay all remitted prepaid 609
wireless emergency communication service in the same manner as 610
subsection 2(d) of this section. 611
(2) (a) Emergency communications service charges collected 612
by service providers shall be remitted to the department at the 613
times and in the manner provided by Chapter 65 of Title 27 with 614
respect to sales and use taxes. The department shall establish 615
registration and payment procedures that substantially coincide 616
with the registration and payment procedures that apply to Chapter 617
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65 of Title 27. Interest and penalty provisions provided under 618
Chapter 65 of Title 27 also apply. 619
(b) The audit and appeal procedures applicable to 620
Chapter 65 of Title 27 shall apply to prepaid wireless E911 621
charges. 622
(c) The department shall establish procedures by which 623
a service provider may document that a sale is not a retail 624
transaction, which procedures shall substantially coincide with 625
the procedures for documenting a sale for resale transactions for 626
sales and use tax purposes under Chapter 65 of Title 27. 627
(d) The department shall pay all remitted emergency 628
communications service charges as prescribed by the authority 629
directly to the ECDs and the authority through the "Emergency 630
Communications Public Safety Trust Fund," by the fifteenth of the 631
month following the month of receipt, after deducting an amount 632
not to exceed one-half percent (0.5%) of collected charges, that 633
shall be retained by the department to reimburse its direct costs 634
of administering the collection and remittance of emergency 635
communications service charges. 636
(3) For wired, wireless and Voice over IP services, each 637
service provider shall act as a collection agent for the emergency 638
communications service charge and shall, as part of the provider's 639
normal monthly billing process, collect the emergency 640
communications service charges levied upon providers and customers 641
pursuant to subsection (1) of this section. A return, in such 642
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form as the department prescribes, shall be filed with the 643
department, to include aggregate emergency communications service 644
charges collected and reported to the Department of Revenue on a 645
county or ECD basis as determined based on the customer's service 646
address by the authority, using a zip code plus four (4) 647
designation as required by the federal Uniform Sourcing Act and a 648
remittance of the amount of service charge collected payable to 649
the Emergency Communications Services Charge Fund. 650
(4) Each service provider shall be entitled to deduct and 651
retain from the emergency communications service charges collected 652
by such provider during each calendar month an amount not to 653
exceed one-half percent (0.5%) of the gross aggregate amount of 654
such collections as reimbursement for the actual costs incurred by 655
such provider in collecting, handling and processing such 656
emergency communications service charges. 657
(5) Each service provider that chooses to pass through the 658
charge shall list the emergency communications service charge as a 659
separate entry on each bill. For each service provider that 660
provides an all-inclusive monthly charge, the service provider 661
shall include the emergency communications service charge in the 662
customer's monthly charge. 663
(6) The emergency communications service charge is the 664
liability of the consumer and not the service provider. The 665
service provider shall have no obligation to take any legal action 666
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to enforce the collection of any emergency communications service 667
charge. 668
(7) The amount of the emergency communications service 669
charge that is collected by a service provider or seller from a 670
consumer shall not be considered revenue for any purpose and, 671
therefore, shall not be included in the base for measuring any 672
tax, fee, surcharge or other charge that is imposed by this state, 673
any political subdivision of this state or any intergovernmental 674
agency. 675
(8) No service provider or seller of prepaid wireless 676
communications service shall be liable for damages to any person 677
resulting from or incurred in connection with accessing or 678
attempting to access emergency services. 679
(9) No service provider shall be liable for damages to any 680
person or entity resulting from or incurred in connection with the 681
service provider's provision of assistance to any investigative or 682
law enforcement officer of the United States, this or any other 683
state, or any political subdivision of this or any other state, in 684
connection with any investigation or other law enforcement 685
activity by such law enforcement officer that the provider 686
believes in good faith to be lawful. 687
(10) Partial payments made by a customer are applied first 688
to the amount the customer owes the service provider or seller or 689
seller of prepaid wireless telecommunication service. 690
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(11) The emergency communications service charge provided in 691
this section and the service charge provided in Section 19-5-357 692
to fund the training of public safety telecommunicators shall be 693
the only charges assessed to service providers and customers of 694
service providers relating to emergency communications services. 695
SECTION 14. Section 19-5-407, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 696
brought forward as follows: 697
19-5-407. To avoid an overlap in the assessment of the old 698
and new charges for service providers obligated to pay the 699
emergency communication service charge safety charge, a transition 700
to the payment of the emergency communications service charge 701
shall occur. 702
(a) The assessment of charges before July 1, 2025, 703
shall continue through December 31, 2025, and be remitted in the 704
same manner to the same entity as previously prescribed before 705
July 1, 2025. 706
(b) Any unpaid assessments for the time period up to 707
and including December 31, 2025, shall remain due and payable 708
under the terms and processes that are or were in place at the 709
time of assessment. 710
(c) Beginning on January 1, 2026, a service provider is 711
subject to the public safety charges assessed as described in this 712
section. 713
(d) After January 1, 2026, a service supplier shall 714
remit to Department of Revenue all assessments of the emergency 715
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communication service charge for a calendar month by the thirtieth 716
business day of the following month and thereafter as prescribed 717
in this section. 718
SECTION 15. Section 19-5-409, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 719
brought forward as follows: 720
19-5-409. Wireless emergency telephone service shall not be 721
used for personal use and shall be used solely for the use of 722
communications by the public. Any person who knowingly uses or 723
attempts to use wireless emergency telephone service for a purpose 724
other than obtaining public safety assistance, or who knowingly 725
uses or attempts to use wireless emergency telephone service in an 726
effort to avoid any emergency communications charges, is guilty of 727
a misdemeanor and shall be subject to a fine of not more than Five 728
Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or imprisonment of not more than thirty 729
(30) days in the county jail, or both. If the value of the 730
emergency communications charge or service obtained in a manner 731
prohibited by this section exceeds One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), 732
the offense may be prosecuted as a felony and punishable by a fine 733
of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) and 734
imprisonment of not more than three (3) years, or both. 735
SECTION 16. Section 19-5-411, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 736
brought forward as follows: 737
19-5-411. (1) Of the total funds received by any ECD from 738
the Emergency Communications Public Safety Trust Fund, no less 739
than thirty percent (30%) shall be deposited into the ECD NG911 740
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implementation fund, and shall be used to provide for the 741
transition from legacy 911 to NG911 by implementing, deploying and 742
maintaining core components of NG911 functionality, including an 743
IP based system comprised of managed Emergency Services IP network 744
services (ESInets), functional elements (applications), databases 745
(GIS) and call handling systems that replicate traditional E911 746
features and functions and provide additional capabilities. No 747
ECD may access and/or expend ECD NG911 implementation funds until 748
the authority, through written authorization from the director and 749
the advisory board, has approved the ECD NG911 Plan. ECD NG911 750
implementation funds shall only be used for capital expenditures 751
and operational expenses approved in the ECD NG911 plan. Except 752
for expenses authorized in the ECD NG911 Plan, ECD NG911 753
implementation funds shall not be used for augmentation of the 754
ECD's land mobile radio system. The funds deposited in the ECD 755
NG911 implementation fund shall accrue to the benefit of the ECD. 756
After an ECD's NG911 plan has been approved by the authority, the 757
ECD is no longer required to segregate at least thirty percent 758
(30%) of funds as stipulated herein. 759
(2) The remainder of the total funds received by an ECD from 760
the Emergency Communications Public Safety Trust Fund shall be 761
deposited into the ECD's operations fund and shall be limited to 762
providing PSAP services, including capital improvements, and in 763
their normal ECD operations, including land mobile radio service. 764
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SECTION 17. Section 19-5-413, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 765
brought forward as follows: 766
19-5-413. Each ECD shall submit financial and program 767
reports to the authority advisory board annually. Such reports 768
shall demonstrate that the emergency communications district is 769
spending funds in an efficient and effective manner consistent 770
with the approved ECD NG911 Plan and using best practices in 771
contracting for goods and services. Reports shall meet the 772
minimum standards prescribed by the authority. The authority 773
shall also prescribe procedures necessary to assure that the books 774
and records are kept in accordance with generally accepted 775
accounting principles. 776
SECTION 18. Section 19-5-415, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 777
brought forward as follows: 778
19-5-415. Each emergency communication district shall adopt 779
an NG911 plan no later than December 31, 2030, and any district 780
failing to adopt its plan by such date shall not expend any monies 781
from the NG911 CMRS Grant Fund or ECD NG911 implementation fund. 782
SECTION 19. Section 19-5-305, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 783
brought forward as follows: 784
19-5-305. (1) The board of supervisors of each county may 785
create, by order duly adopted and entered on its minutes, an 786
emergency communications district composed of all of the territory 787
within the county. 788
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(2) The board of supervisors of each county may, in its 789
discretion, by order duly adopted and entered on its minutes, 790
choose to create an emergency communications district in 791
partnership with another board of supervisors to serve each of the 792
counties represented in the partnership. 793
(3) The ECD shall have the authority to charge each 794
qualified nonpublic user for costs associated with integrating and 795
inclusion of the nonpublic user into the ECD's system. 796
SECTION 20. Section 19-5-307, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 797
brought forward as follows: 798
19-5-307. (1) When any district is created, the board of 799
supervisors of the county creating such district may appoint a 800
board of commissioners composed of seven (7) members to govern its 801
affairs, and shall fix the domicile of the board at any point 802
within the district. The members of the board shall be qualified 803
electors of the district, two (2) of whom shall be appointed for 804
terms of two (2) years, three (3) for terms of three (3) years, 805
and two (2) for terms of four (4) years, dating from the date of 806
the adoption of the ordinance creating the district. Thereafter, 807
all appointments of the members shall be for terms of four (4) 808
years. 809
(2) The board of commissioners shall have complete and sole 810
authority to appoint a chairman and any other officers it may deem 811
necessary from among the membership of the board of commissioners. 812
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(3) A majority of the board of commissioners membership 813
shall constitute a quorum and all official action of the board of 814
commissioners shall require a quorum. 815
(4) The board of commissioners shall have authority to 816
employ such employees, experts and consultants as it may deem 817
necessary to assist the board of commissioners in the discharge of 818
its responsibilities to the extent that funds are made available. 819
(5) In lieu of appointing a board of commissioners, the 820
board of supervisors of the county may serve as the board of 821
commissioners of the district, in which case it shall assume all 822
the powers and duties of the board of commissioners as provided in 823
Section 19-5-301 et seq. 824
(6) From and after the adoption of the State NG911 Plan, all 825
emergency communications districts shall purchase, lease or 826
lease-purchase any new equipment used to comply with requirements 827
consistent with the State NG911 Plan from a products and equipment 828
list maintained by the Mississippi Department of Information 829
Technology Services; however, items not available from the list, 830
or items which may be purchased at a lower price, shall be 831
purchased in accordance with the Public Purchasing Law (Section 832
31-7-13). 833
SECTION 21. Section 19-5-315, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 834
brought forward as follows: 835
19-5-315. (1) The governing authorities of any municipality 836
which has established an emergency communications district (ECD) 837
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under the provisions of a local and private act enacted prior to 838
the effective date of Section 19-5-301 et seq., may merge such 839
district with another ECD, by order duly adopted and entered on 840
the minutes of the governing authority and after the board of 841
supervisors has duly adopted and entered on its minutes a similar 842
order. After the ECD and the municipal districts have been 843
merged, the local and private act for such municipality shall be 844
of no force or effect. 845
(2) Two (2) or more ECDS may, by order duly adopted by each 846
governing authority and entered on their minutes, establish a 847
single emergency communications district to be composed of all of 848
the territory within such ECD provided that each emergency 849
communications district has been established in accordance with 850
Section 19-5-305. When two (2) or more ECDs have established a 851
single ECD as provided under this subsection, the board of 852
commissioners of the district shall be determined by the governing 853
authority of each ECD. 854
(3) From and after October 1, 2027, a municipality may, in 855
the form of a written agreement between the governing authorities 856
of the municipality and the ECD it seeks to contract with, and 857
with approval from the Mississippi Emergency Communications 858
Authority, join another contiguous or noncontiguous ECD. Such 859
written agreement shall include that a fair share of funding shall 860
be contributed by the municipality being served to the county 861
operating the emergency communications district. Monies necessary 862
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for the fair share of funding shall be received according to 863
Section 19-5-395(i) and (j) and Section 19-5-411. 864
(4) An emergency communications district established under 865
this section may serve the jurisdiction of more than one (1) 866
public agency of the county or municipality or, through mutual 867
written agreements. 868
(5) Changes to an ECD's area of service, whether by 869
consolidation, modification or otherwise, shall be provided in 870
writing through memoranda of understanding. All changes shall be 871
submitted in standard GIS data file to the Mississippi Emergency 872
Communications Authority within ten (10) days of date of change. 873
SECTION 22. Section 19-5-317, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 874
brought forward as follows: 875
19-5-317. (1) When there is not an emergency, no person 876
shall make a call for service to a public safety answering point 877
and knowingly or intentionally: 878
(a) Remain silent; 879
(b) Make abusive or harassing statements to an 880
emergency telephone service employee; 881
(c) Report the existence of an emergency; or 882
(d) Falsely report a crime. 883
(2) No person shall knowingly permit a communications device 884
under his control to be used by another person in a manner 885
described in subsection (1) of this section. 886
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(3) Conviction of a first offense under this section is 887
punishable by a fine not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars 888
($5,000.00) or by imprisonment for a period of time not to exceed 889
one (1) year, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Conviction 890
of any subsequent offense under this section is punishable by a 891
fine not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) or by 892
imprisonment for a period of time not to exceed three (3) years, 893
or by both such fine and imprisonment. 894
SECTION 23. Section 33-15-14, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 895
brought forward as follows: 896
33-15-14. (1) The agency is responsible for maintaining a 897
comprehensive statewide program of emergency management. The 898
agency is responsible for coordination with efforts of the federal 899
government with other departments and agencies of state 900
government, with county and municipal governments and school 901
boards and with private agencies that have a role in emergency 902
management. 903
(2) In performing its duties under this article, the agency 904
shall: 905
(a) Work with the Governor, or his representative, in 906
preparing a State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan of this 907
state, which shall be integrated into and coordinated with the 908
emergency management plans of the federal government and of other 909
states to the fullest possible extent, and to coordinate the 910
preparation of plans and programs for emergency management by the 911
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political subdivisions of the state, such local plans to be 912
integrated into and coordinated with the emergency plan and 913
program of this state. The plan must contain provisions to ensure 914
that the state is prepared for emergencies and minor, major and 915
catastrophic disasters, and the agency shall work closely with 916
local governments and agencies and organizations with emergency 917
management responsibilities in preparing and maintaining the plan. 918
The State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan will be 919
operations oriented and: 920
(i) Include an evacuation component that includes 921
specific regional and interregional planning provisions and 922
promotes intergovernmental coordination of evacuation activities. 923
This component must, at a minimum: ensure coordination pertaining 924
to evacuees crossing county lines; set forth procedures for 925
directing people caught on evacuation routes to safe shelter; and 926
establish policies and strategies for emergency medical 927
evacuations. 928
(ii) Include a shelter component that includes 929
specific regional and interregional planning provisions and 930
promotes coordination of shelter activities between the public, 931
private and nonprofit sectors. This component must, at a minimum: 932
contain strategies to ensure the availability of adequate public 933
shelter space in each region of the state; establish strategies 934
for refuge-of-last-resort programs; provide strategies to assist 935
local emergency management efforts to ensure that adequate 936
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staffing plans exist for all shelters, including medical and 937
security personnel; provide for a postdisaster communications 938
system for public shelters; establish model shelter guidelines for 939
operations, registration, inventory, power generation capability, 940
information management and staffing; and set forth policy guidance 941
for sheltering people with special needs. 942
(iii) Include a postdisaster response and recovery 943
component that includes specific regional and interregional 944
planning provisions and promotes intergovernmental coordination of 945
postdisaster response and recovery activities. This component 946
must provide for postdisaster response and recovery strategies 947
according to whether a disaster is minor, major or catastrophic. 948
The postdisaster response and recovery component must, at a 949
minimum: establish the structure of the state's postdisaster 950
response and recovery organization; establish procedures for 951
activating the state's plan; set forth policies used to guide 952
postdisaster response and recovery activities; describe the chain 953
of command during the postdisaster response and recovery period; 954
describe initial and continuous postdisaster response and recovery 955
actions; identify the roles and responsibilities of each involved 956
agency and organization; provide for a comprehensive 957
communications plan; establish procedures for monitoring mutual 958
aid agreements; provide for rapid impact assessment teams; ensure 959
the availability of an effective statewide urban search and rescue 960
program coordinated with the fire services; ensure the existence 961
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of a comprehensive statewide medical care and relief plan 962
administered by the State Department of Health; and establish 963
systems for coordinating volunteers and accepting and distributing 964
donated funds and goods. 965
(iv) Include additional provisions addressing 966
aspects of preparedness, response and recovery, as determined 967
necessary by the agency. 968
(v) Address the need for coordinated and 969
expeditious deployment of state resources, including the 970
Mississippi National Guard. In the case of an imminent major 971
disaster, procedures should address predeployment of the 972
Mississippi National Guard, and, in the case of an imminent 973
catastrophic disaster, procedures should address predeployment of 974
the Mississippi National Guard and the United States Armed Forces. 975
This subparagraph (v) does not authorize the agency to call out 976
and deploy the Mississippi National Guard, which authority and 977
determination rests solely with the Governor. 978
(vi) Establish a system of communications and 979
warning to ensure that the state's population and emergency 980
management agencies are warned of developing emergency situations 981
and can communicate emergency response decisions. 982
(vii) Establish guidelines and schedules for 983
annual exercises that evaluate the ability of the state and its 984
political subdivisions to respond to minor, major and catastrophic 985
disasters and support local emergency management agencies. Such 986
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exercises shall be coordinated with local governments and, to the 987
extent possible, the federal government. 988
(viii) 1. Assign lead and support 989
responsibilities to state agencies and personnel for emergency 990
support functions and other support activities. 991
2. The agency shall prepare an interim 992
postdisaster response and recovery component that substantially 993
complies with the provisions of this paragraph (a). Each state 994
agency assigned lead responsibility for an emergency support 995
function by the State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan 996
shall also prepare a detailed operational plan needed to implement 997
its responsibilities. The complete State Comprehensive Emergency 998
Management Plan shall be submitted to the Governor no later than 999
January 1, 1996, and on January 1 of every even-numbered year 1000
thereafter. 1001
(b) Adopt standards and requirements for county 1002
emergency management plans. The standards and requirements must 1003
ensure that county plans are coordinated and consistent with the 1004
State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. If a municipality 1005
elects to establish an emergency management program, it must adopt 1006
a city emergency management plan that complies with all standards 1007
and requirements applicable to county emergency management plans. 1008
(c) Assist political subdivisions in preparing and 1009
maintaining emergency management plans. 1010
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(d) Review periodically political subdivision emergency 1011
management plans for consistency with the State Comprehensive 1012
Emergency Management Plan and standards and requirements adopted 1013
under this section. 1014
(e) Make recommendations to the Legislature, building 1015
code organizations and political subdivisions for zoning, building 1016
and other land use controls, safety measures for securing mobile 1017
homes or other nonpermanent or semipermanent structures; and other 1018
preparedness, prevention and mitigation measures designed to 1019
eliminate emergencies or reduce their impact. 1020
(f) In accordance with the State Comprehensive 1021
Emergency Management Plan and program for emergency management, 1022
ascertain the requirements of the state, its political 1023
subdivisions and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians for 1024
equipment and supplies of all kinds in the event of an emergency; 1025
plan for and either procure supplies, medicines, materials and 1026
equipment or enter into memoranda of agreement or open purchase 1027
orders that will ensure their availability; and use and employ 1028
from time to time any of the property, services and resources 1029
within the state in accordance with this article. 1030
(g) Anticipate trends and promote innovations that will 1031
enhance the emergency management system. 1032
(h) Prepare and distribute to appropriate state and 1033
local officials catalogs of federal, state and private assistance 1034
programs. 1035
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(i) Implement training programs to improve the ability 1036
of state and local emergency management personnel to prepare and 1037
implement emergency management plans and programs, and require all 1038
local civil defense directors or emergency management directors to 1039
complete such training as a condition to their authority to 1040
continue service in their emergency management positions. 1041
(j) Review periodically emergency operating procedures 1042
of state agencies and recommend revisions as needed to ensure 1043
consistency with the State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan 1044
and program. 1045
(k) Prepare, in advance whenever possible, such 1046
executive orders, proclamations and rules for issuance by the 1047
Governor as are necessary or appropriate for coping with 1048
emergencies and disasters. 1049
(l) Cooperate with the federal government and any 1050
public or private agency or entity in achieving any purpose of 1051
this article. 1052
(m) Assist political subdivisions with the creation and 1053
training of urban search and rescue teams and promote the 1054
development and maintenance of a state urban search and rescue 1055
program. 1056
(n) Delegate, as necessary and appropriate, authority 1057
vested in it under this article and provide for the subdelegation 1058
of such authority. 1059
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(o) Require each county or municipality to designate an 1060
agent for working with the agency in the event of a natural 1061
disaster. The county or municipality may designate any person as 1062
agent who has completed training programs required of emergency 1063
management directors. 1064
(p) Report biennially to the Governor and the President 1065
of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, no 1066
later than January 1 of every odd-numbered year, the status of the 1067
emergency management capabilities of the state and its political 1068
subdivisions. 1069
(q) In accordance with Section 25-43-1 et seq., create, 1070
implement, administer, promulgate, amend and rescind rules, 1071
programs and plans needed to carry out the provisions of this 1072
article with due consideration for, and in cooperating with, the 1073
plans and programs of the federal government. 1074
(r) Have the sole power and discretion to enter into, 1075
sign, execute and deliver long-term or multiyear leases of real 1076
and personal property with other state and federal agencies. 1077
(s) Do other things necessary, incidental or 1078
appropriate for the implementation of this article. 1079
(t) In accordance with Section 33-15-15, create, 1080
implement, administer, promulgate, amend and rescind rules 1081
regarding the development of the Mississippi Disaster Reservist 1082
Program. 1083
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(u) Unless otherwise instructed by the Governor, 1084
sponsor and develop mutual aid plans and agreements between the 1085
political subdivisions of the state and the Mississippi Band of 1086
Choctaw Indians similar to the mutual aid arrangements with other 1087
states referenced in Section 33-15-11(b)(10). 1088
(v) Serve as the statewide coordinator for Emergency 1089
Communications, including 911, E911, NG911 and all other related 1090
functions. 1091
(w) Administer, as necessary, eligible legacy CMRS 1092
reimbursements of infrastructure costs using funds appropriated by 1093
the Legislature for such purposes which are deposited into the 1094
State NG911 Fund. Such reimbursements shall be for compliance 1095
with legacy emergency communications services. 1096
SECTION 24. Section 19-5-339, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 1097
brought forward as follows: 1098
19-5-339. In accordance with the Federal Communication 1099
Commission Order, no CMRS provider shall be required to provide 1100
wireless Enhanced 911 Service until such time as (a) the provider 1101
receives a request for such service from the administrator of a 1102
Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) that is capable of receiving 1103
and utilizing the data elements associated with the service; (b) 1104
funds are available pursuant to Section 19-5-333; and (c) the 1105
local exchange carrier is able to support the wireless Enhanced 1106
911 system. 1107
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SECTION 25. This act shall take effect and be in force from 1108
and after July 1, 2026. 1109