House Passes Legislation to Upgrade Georgia’s 911 Emergency Call System

ATLANTA – The Georgia House of Representatives passed House Bill 256 and House Bill 280 with broad bipartisan support on Monday, March 14, 2011. Supported by State Representative Barbara Massey Reece (D-Menlo), both measures provide local governments with the funds necessary to enhance the quality and operation of their local 911 centers.

“HB 256 and HB 280 will greatly benefit emergency services across the state,” said Rep. Reece. “I am pleased to support these bills by voting for their passage. These simple changes will bring much needed revenue to our 911 system and will ultimately help save more Georgians’ lives.”

HB 256 would allow a portion of fees from prepaid wireless purchases to be distributed to Georgia’s 911 centers. These funds would be distributed based on the population served by each 911 center. For more information on HB 256, please click here.

Under HB 280, local governments would be able to utilize leftover funds collected for 911 centers to pay for additional expenses related to 911 operations. In addition, local governments would be required to maintain a reserve amount of 10 percent of the year’s expenditures. For more information on HB 280, please click here.

Representative Barbara Massey Reece represents the citizens of District 11, which includes Chattooga County, as well as portions of Floyd County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 1998, and currently serves on the Education, Reapportionment, Science & Technology, and State Institutions & Property committees.

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