SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 1712
94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED
BY REPRESENTATIVES SANDER (Sponsor), McGHEE, JONES (117),
PARSON, DEEKEN, NANCE, WALLACE, BRUNS AND BAKER (123)
(Co-sponsors).
Read 1st time January 17, 2008 and copies
ordered printed.
D.
ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
3222L.01I
AN
ACT
To
repeal sections 67.318, 190.290, 190.292, 190.294, 190.296,
190.300, 190.305, 190.306, 190.308, 190.325, 190.327, 190.328,
and 190.329, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof thirteen new
sections relating to emergency services, with penalty
provisions.
Be
it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as
follows:
Section A. Sections 67.318, 190.290, 190.292,
190.294, 190.296, 190.300, 190.305, 190.306, 190.308, 190.325,
190.327, 190.328, and 190.329, RSMo, are repealed and thirteen
new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections
67.318, 190.290, 190.292, 190.294, 190.296, 190.300, 190.305,
190.308, 190.325, 190.327, 190.328, 190.329, and 190.330, to
read as follows:
67.318.
1. The governing body of any county or municipality may
by order or ordinance require that all residences and commercial
businesses have the numbers of their street addresses
conspicuously posted so that providers of fire protection
services or other emergency services may better find the proper
location when responding to an emergency call. Where such an
ordinance or order is established, the fire department, fire
protection district or volunteer fire protection association
which provides fire protection services for the municipality or
county, or portion thereof, shall enforce the provisions of such
ordinance or order. The ordinance or order shall prescribe a
grace period for persons who violate the ordinance or order,
which shall allow such violator at least fifteen days to comply
with the ordinance before any fine may be imposed.
2. The governing body of each county except any city
not within a county shall establish and maintain 911 addressing
in all areas of its jurisdiction for which enhanced 911 service
has been approved, including areas within the cities and other
political subdivisions located in such county. However, the
governing body of each county may delegate the authority to
establish and maintain the addressing within municipalities to
the governing body or political subdivision that has
governmental authority over the municipality.
3. (1) Once 911 authority has been established, the
assigned 911 address shall become the official address. All
government entities shall use the 911 addresses for official
records.
(2) Where road names must be changed as a result of
the establishment of 911 addressing, the cost of materials
related to sign changes shall be funded by the 911 revenues,
which includes the cost of sign replacement within
municipalities that have readdressed for enhanced 911 service.
Cost of maintenance of signage lost, stolen, or damaged shall
not be funded by 911 revenues.
(3) All entities having the responsibility to
establish 911 addressing shall work with adjoining jurisdictions
to coordinate naming and addressing of roads. Where roads extend
into adjoining jurisdictions, such coordination shall be
required to prevent duplicate addresses. Disagreements between
jurisdictions shall be resolved by compromises reached in direct
negotiations. If an agreement cannot be reached, arbitration
shall be sought to resolve the conflict.
4. All addressing schemes shall meet the United
States Postal Service guidelines or current local established
guidelines. The input and advice of the United States Postal
Service officials, local telephone companies, and other
interested utilities shall be sought during all new addressing
projects.
5. Any database information in any 911 public safety
answering point, as defined in section 190.290, RSMo, shall be
held as confidential, nonpublic information. All subscriber
information, whether obtained from the telephone company or from
the citizens themselves, shall be confidential, nonpublic
information and shall not be used for purposes other than the
operation of the 911 system.
6. The public safety answering point master street
address guide database information containing only address
ranges and street names shall be public information.
190.290.
As used in sections 190.290 to 190.296, the following terms [shall]
mean:
(1) "911 system", a system or any portion thereof
required in the generally accepted practice of answering and
dispatching of emergency 911 calls;
(2) "Communications service", any service that is
capable of communicating to a single three-digit number "911"
for reporting police, fire, medical, or other emergency
situations;
(3) "Emergency communications tax", a tax on
telephone or other communications services to finance the
operation of a PSAP;
(4) "Emergency dispatching", dispatching for any
incident involving imminent danger to life or property that
calls for an emergency dispatch of police, fire, emergency
medical, or other emergency response services by a PSAP;
(5) "Emergency services", police, fire, and
emergency medical response agencies, or other emergency response
services;
(6) "Emergency services communications board" or
"board", those persons appointed or elected under section
190.292;
(7) "Emergency [telephone]
communications service", a [telephone]
communications system utilizing a single three digit number,
"911", for reporting police, fire, medical, or other emergency
situations;
[(2) "Emergency services board" or "board",
those persons appointed or elected pursuant to section 190.292;]
(8) "Emergency communications tax", a tax on
telephone or other communications service to finance the
operation of an emergency communications service;
(9) "Governing body", the legislative body
responsible for a city or county;
[(3)] (10) "Person", any
individual, firm, partnership, copartnership, joint venture,
association, cooperative organization, corporation, municipal or
private, and whether organized for profit or not, state, county,
political subdivision, state department, commission, board,
bureau, or fraternal organization, estate, trust, business, or
common law trust, receiver, assignee for the benefit of
creditors, trustee or trustee in bankruptcy, or any other
service user;
[(4)] (11) "Public agency", any
city, county, city not within a county, municipal corporation,
public district or public authority located in whole or in part
within this state which provides or has authority to provide
fire fighting, law enforcement, ambulance, emergency medical, or
other emergency services;
(12) "Public safety answering point" or "PSAP", a
communications facility with enhanced 911 capability, operated
on a twenty-four hour basis, assigned with the responsibility of
receiving initial 911 calls and, as appropriate, directly
dispatching emergency services or, through transfer routing or
relay routing, passing 911 calls to public or private safety
agencies.
190.292.
1. In [lieu of] addition to the tax levy
authorized under section 190.305 for emergency [telephone]
communications services, the [county commission]
governing body of any county may impose a county sales
tax for the provision of [central dispatching of fire
protection, including law enforcement agencies, emergency
ambulance service or any other emergency services, including
emergency telephone services, which shall be collectively
referred to herein as] a PSAP for emergency
dispatching of "emergency services", and which may also
include the purchase and maintenance of communications and
emergency equipment, including the operational costs associated
therein, in accordance with the provisions of this section.
2. Such [county commission]
governing body may, by a majority vote of its members,
submit to the voters of the county, at a public election, a
proposal to authorize the [county commission]
governing body to impose a tax under the provisions of this
section. If the residents of the county present a petition
signed by a number of residents equal to ten percent of those in
the county who voted in the most recent gubernatorial election,
then the [commission] governing body shall
submit such a proposal to the voters of the county.
3. The ballot of submission shall be in
substantially the following form:
Shall the county of ................... (insert name
of county) impose a county sales tax of ............ (insert
rate of percent) percent for the purpose of providing [central]
a PSAP and emergency dispatching [of fire
protection, emergency ambulance service, including emergency
telephone services,] for police, fire, and emergency
medical services and other emergency response
services?
□
YES □
NO
If a majority of the votes cast on the proposal by the
qualified voters voting thereon are in favor of the proposal,
then the ordinance shall be in effect as provided herein. If a
majority of the votes cast by the qualified voters voting are
opposed to the proposal, then the county commission shall have
no power to impose the tax authorized by this section unless and
until the county commission shall again have submitted another
proposal to authorize the county commission to impose the tax
under the provisions of this section, and such proposal is
approved by a majority of the qualified voters voting thereon.
4. The sales tax may be imposed at a rate not to
exceed one percent on the receipts from the sale at retail of
all tangible personal property or taxable services at retail
within any county adopting such tax, if such property and
services are subject to taxation by the state of Missouri under
the provisions of sections 144.010 to 144.525, RSMo. The sales
tax shall not be collected prior to thirty-six months before
operation of [the central] a PSAP and the
emergency dispatching [of emergency services].
5. Except as modified in this section, all
provisions of sections 32.085 and 32.087, RSMo, shall apply to
the tax imposed under this section.
6. Any tax imposed pursuant to section 190.305 shall
terminate at the end of the tax year in which the tax imposed
pursuant to this section [for emergency services]
is certified by the board to be fully operational. Any revenues
collected from the tax authorized under section 190.305 shall be
credited for the purposes for which they were intended.
7. At least once each calendar year, the board, as
established by subsection [11] 8 of this
section, shall establish a tax rate, not to exceed the amount
authorized by the voters, that together with any surplus
revenues carried forward will produce sufficient revenues to
fund the expenditures authorized by sections 190.290 to 190.296.
Amounts collected in excess of that necessary within a given
year shall be carried forward to subsequent years. The board
shall make its determination of such tax rate each year no later
than September first and shall fix the new rate which shall be
collected as provided in sections 190.290 to 190.296.
Immediately upon making its determination and fixing the rate,
the board shall publish in its minutes the new rate, and it
shall notify [every retailer] the director of
revenue by mail of the new rate.
8. Immediately upon the affirmative vote of voters
of such a county on the ballot proposal to establish a county
sales tax pursuant to the provisions of this section, the county
commission shall appoint the initial members of a board to
administer the funds and oversee the provision of 911
emergency services in the county. [Beginning with the
general election in 1994,] All board members shall be
elected according to this section and other applicable laws of
this state. At the time of the appointment of the initial
members of the board, the commission shall relinquish and no
longer exercise the duties prescribed in this chapter with
regard to the provision of 911 emergency services and
such duties shall be exercised by the board.
9. The initial board shall consist of seven members
who shall reside in the district that they represent and who
shall be appointed without regard to political affiliation[,]
. Three [of whom] members shall be
selected from[,] and [who shall]
represent[,] the fire protection districts,
ambulance districts, sheriff's department, municipalities, and
any other emergency services. Four of the members of the board
shall not be selected from or represent the fire protection
districts, ambulance districts, sheriff's department,
municipalities, or any other emergency services. [Any
individual serving on the board on August 28, 2004, may continue
to serve and seek reelection or reappointment to the board,
notwithstanding any provisions of this subsection.] This
initial board shall serve until its successor board is duly
elected and installed in office. The commission shall ensure
geographic representation of the county by appointing no more
than four members from each district of the county commission.
10. [Beginning in 1994,] Three members
shall be elected from each district of the county commission and
one member shall be elected at large. The members of the board
shall annually elect, from among their number, the chairman of
the board. Of those first elected, four members from districts
of the county commission shall be elected for terms of two years
and two members from districts of the county commission and the
member at large shall be elected for terms of four years. [In
1996, and] Thereafter, all terms of office shall be four
years. The election of the board members shall be conducted at
the first municipal election held in a calendar year.
11. When the board is organized, it shall be a body
corporate and a political subdivision of the state and shall be
known as the "............ Emergency Services Communications
Board".
12. [This section shall only apply to
any county of the third classification without a township form
of government and with more than twenty-four thousand five
hundred but less than twenty-four thousand six hundred
inhabitants.] The emergency services communications
board's powers and duties shall be as provided in section
190.294.
13. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections 8
to 10 of this section to the contrary, in any county of the
first classification with more than two hundred forty thousand
three hundred but fewer than two hundred forty thousand four
hundred inhabitants, any emergency services communications board
appointed by the county under sections 190.290 to 190.296 which
is in existence on the date the voters approve a sales tax under
this chapter shall continue to exist and shall have the powers
under section 190.294.
14. Any tax that was adopted under sections
190.290 to 190.296 before August 28, 2008, shall continue to be
effective and shall be deemed to provide for funding the
provision of a PSAP for emergency dispatching.
190.294.
1. The powers and duties of the emergency services
communications board shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) Planning a PSAP 911 system and
emergency dispatching system;
(2) Coordinating and supervising the implementation,
upgrading or maintenance of the system, including the
establishment of equipment specifications and coding systems;
(3) Receiving money from any county sales tax,
emergency communications tax, or communication tax
authorized to be levied pursuant to section 190.292, 190.305,
or 190.430 and authorizing disbursements from such moneys
collected;
(4) Hiring any staff necessary for the
implementation, upgrade or operation of the system;
(5) Acquiring land in fee simple, rights in land and
easements upon, over, or across land and leasehold interests in
land and tangible and intangible personal property used or
useful for the location, establishment, maintenance,
development, expansion, extension, or improvement of the [central]
PSAP emergency dispatching [of emergency services]
or communications service. The acquisition may be by
dedication, purchase, gift, agreement, lease, use, or adverse
possession;
(6) Borrowing money and issuing bonds, notes,
certificates, or other evidences of indebtedness for the purpose
of accomplishing any of its corporate purposes, subject to
compliance with any condition or limitation set forth in
sections 190.290 to 190.296 or otherwise provided by the
Constitution of Missouri;
(7) Suing and being sued, and to be party to suits,
actions, and proceedings;
(8) Having and using a corporate seal;
(9) Entering into contracts, franchises, and
agreements with any person, partnership, association, or
corporation, public or private, affecting the affairs of the
board;
(10) Having the management, control, and supervision
of all the business affairs of the board and the construction,
installation, operation, and maintenance of any improvements;
(11) Hiring and retaining agents and employees and
providing for their compensation, including health and pension
benefits;
(12) Adopting and amending bylaws and any other
rules and regulations;
(13) Paying all expenses connected with the first
election and all subsequent elections;
(14) Having and exercising all rights and powers
necessary or incidental to or implied from the specific powers
granted in this section. Such specific powers shall not be
considered as a limitation upon any power necessary or
appropriate to carry out the purposes and intent of sections
190.290 to 190.296;
(15) Maintaining [central] the PSAP
and emergency dispatching [of emergency services]
or communications service for the benefit of the
inhabitants of the area comprising the district regardless of
race, creed, or color, and to adopt such reasonable rules and
regulations as may be necessary to render the highest quality
[of the central] PSAP and emergency
dispatching [of emergency services] or
communications service; excluding from the use of the [central]
emergency dispatching [of emergency services]
or communications service all persons who willfully
disregard any of the rules and regulations so established;
extending the privileges and use of the [central]
emergency dispatching [of emergency services]
or communications service to persons residing outside the
area of the district upon such terms and conditions as the board
prescribes by its rules and regulations;
(16) Purchasing insurance indemnifying the district
and its employees, officers, volunteers, and directors against
liability in rendering services incidental to the furnishing of
[central] emergency dispatching [of
emergency services]. Purchase of insurance pursuant to
this section is not intended to waive sovereign immunity,
official immunity, or the Missouri public duty doctrine
defenses.
2. The administrative control and management of the
moneys from any county sales tax, emergency communications
tax authorized to be levied pursuant to section 190.292,
190.305, or 190.430 and the administrative control and
management of the [central] PSAP and emergency
dispatching [of emergency services] or
communications service shall rest solely with the board, and
the board shall employ all necessary personnel, affix their
compensation and provide suitable quarters and equipment for the
operation of the [central] PSAP and emergency
dispatching [of emergency services] or
communications service from the funds available for this
purpose.
3. The board may contract to provide services
relating in whole or in part to [central] the
PSAP and emergency dispatching [of emergency services]
or communications service and for such purpose may expend
the tax funds or other funds.
4. The board shall elect a vice chairman, treasurer,
secretary and such other officers as it deems necessary. Before
taking office, the treasurer shall furnish a surety bond in an
amount to be determined and in a form to be approved by the
board for the faithful performance of the treasurer's duties and
faithful accounting of all moneys that may come into the
treasurer's hands. The treasurer shall enter into the surety
bond with a surety company authorized to do business in
Missouri, and the cost of such bond shall be paid by the board
of directors.
5. The board may accept any gift of property or
money for the use and benefit of the [central]
PSAP and emergency dispatching [of emergency services]
or communications service, and the board is authorized to
sell or exchange any such property which it believes would be to
the benefit of the service so long as the proceeds are used
exclusively for [central] the PSAP and
emergency dispatching [of emergency services]
or communications service. The board shall have exclusive
control of all gifts, property or money it may accept; of all
interest of other proceeds which may accrue from the investment
of such gifts or money or from the sale of such property; of all
tax revenues collected by the [county]
governing body on behalf of the [central]
PSAP and emergency dispatching [of emergency services]
or communications service; and of all other funds
granted, appropriated or loaned to it by the federal government,
the state or its political subdivisions so long as such
resources are used solely to benefit the [central]
PSAP and emergency dispatching [of emergency
services] or communications service.
6. Any board member may, following notice and an
opportunity to be heard, be removed from any office by a
majority vote of the other members of the board for any of the
following reasons:
(1) [Failure to attend five consecutive
meetings, without good cause;
(2)] Conduct prejudicial to the good order
and efficient operation of the [central] PSAP
and emergency dispatching [of emergency services]
or communications service; or
[(3)] (2) Neglect of duty.
7. The chairperson of the board shall preside at
such removal hearing, unless the chairperson is the person
sought to be removed, in which case the hearing shall be
presided over by another member elected by a majority vote of
the other board members. All interested parties may present
testimony and arguments at such hearing, and the witnesses shall
be sworn in by oath or affirmation before testifying. Any
interested party may, at his or her own expense, record the
proceedings.
8. It shall be the duty of the chair to preside
at all board meetings, to act as official head of the emergency
services communications board, and to execute all contracts
required to be executed by the board. In the absence or
disability of the chair, the vice chair shall assume the duties
of the chair.
9. The secretary shall:
(1) Keep the official records of the meetings of the
board;
(2) Attest all official documents with the seal of
the board;
(3) When called upon, make reports pertaining to the
business of the secretary's office;
(4) Attend the board meetings; and
(5) Perform such other duties as may be imposed upon
the secretary by the applicable provisions of this chapter.
10. The treasurer shall be the custodian of the
funds of the board and pay money out of the treasury only upon
valid checks or drafts drawn upon the treasury.
11. The board may, from time to time, provide for
additional rules and regulations concerning the duties of its
officers.
12. Vacancies on the board occasioned by
removals, resignations or otherwise shall be filled by the
remaining members of the board. The appointee or appointees
shall act until the next election at which a director or
directors are elected to serve the remainder of the unexpired
term.
[9.] 13. Individual board
members shall not be eligible for employment by the board within
twelve months of termination of service as a member of the
board.
[10.] 14. No person shall be
employed by the board who is related within the fourth degree by
blood or by marriage to any member of the board.
[11.] 15. Any rule or portion
of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, RSMo,
that is created under the authority delegated in sections [190.300
to 190.341] 190.290 to 190.330 and sections 190.400 to
190.430 shall become effective only if it complies with and
is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536, RSMo, and,
if applicable, section 536.028, RSMo. This section and chapter
536, RSMo, are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with
the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536, RSMo, to review,
to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule
are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of
rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after
August 28, 2004, shall be invalid and void.
[12. This section shall only apply to any
county of the third classification without a township form of
government and with more than twenty-four thousand five hundred
but less than twenty-four thousand six hundred inhabitants.]
190.296.
1. For the purpose of purchasing any property or equipment
necessary or incidental to the operation of [central]
the PSAP and emergency dispatching [of emergency
services], the board may borrow money and issue bonds for
the payment thereof in the manner provided herein. The question
of the loan shall be decided by the submission of the question
to the eligible voters of the county at the [first]
next regularly scheduled municipal election [held
in a calendar year].
2. The question shall be submitted in substantially
the following form:
Shall the ........... emergency services
communications board borrow money in the amount of
............ dollars for the purpose of ........ and issue bonds
for the payment thereof?
3. If the constitutionally required percentage of
the votes cast are for the loan, the board shall, subject to the
restrictions of subsection 4 of this section, be vested with the
power to borrow money in the name of the board, to the amount
and for the purposes specified on the ballot, and issue the
bonds of the board for the payment thereof.
4. The loans authorized by this section shall not be
contracted for a period longer than twenty years, and the entire
amount of the loan shall at no time exceed, including the
existing indebtedness of the board, in the aggregate, ten
percent of the value of taxable tangible property therein, as
shown by the last completed assessment for state and county
purposes, the rate of interest to be agreed upon by the parties,
but in no case to exceed the highest legal rate allowed by
contract; when effected, it shall be the duty of the directors
to direct a portion of the tax collected pursuant to [section]
sections 190.292 and 190.430 in an amount
sufficient to pay the interest on the indebtedness as it falls
due, and also to constitute a sinking fund for the payment of
the principal thereof within the time the principal becomes due.
[5. This section shall only apply to any
county of the third classification without a township form of
government and with more than twenty-four thousand five hundred
but less than twenty-four thousand six hundred inhabitants.]
190.300. As used in sections 190.300 to [190.320]
190.330, the following terms [and phrases]
mean:
(1) ["Emergency telephone service", a
telephone system utilizing a single three digit number "911" for
reporting police, fire, medical or other emergency situations;
(2) "Emergency telephone tax", a tax to finance the
operation of emergency telephone service;
(3) "Exchange access facilities", all facilities
provided by the service supplier for local telephone exchange
access to a service user;] "911", the primary
emergency telephone number;
(2) "911 system", a system or any portion thereof
required in the generally accepted practice of answering and
dispatching of emergency 911 calls;
(3) "Access facilities", all facilities provided by
the service supplier for local telephone or communications
services with access to a service user;
(4) "Automatic location identification" or "ALI",
the automatic display at a PSAP of the caller's telephone
number, the address or location of the telephone, and
supplementary emergency services information;
(5) "Base service rate", the rate or rates billed by
a service supplier to a service user. Such rate or rates shall
be considered that rate charged for minimum access to the
service supplier's system or rates that have been approved by
the Missouri public service commission, which represents the
service supplier's recurring charges for access facilities or
their communications equivalent, exclusive of all taxes, fees,
licenses, or similar charges whatsoever;
(6) "Dispatching system", an emergency communication
system used by a dispatcher to communicate with police, fire,
and emergency medical responders, and other emergency response
services;
(7) "Emergency communications service", any service
that is capable of communicating to a single three-digit number
"911" for reporting police, fire, medical, or other emergency
situations;
(8) "Emergency communications tax", a tax on
telephone or other communications services to finance the
operation of an emergency communications service;
(9) "Emergency dispatching", dispatching for any
incident involving imminent danger to life or property that
calls for an emergency dispatch of police, fire, emergency
medical, or other emergency response services;
(10) "Emergency services", police, fire, and
emergency medical response agencies, or other emergency response
services;
(11) "Emergency services communications board" or
"board", a body corporate and a political subdivision of the
state whose powers and authority are defined in sections 190.300
to 190.330;
(12) "Enhanced 911 database", generally referred
to as the ALI database which is used for 911 services;
(13) "Enhanced 911 service provider", generally the
local exchange carrier of telephone company;
(14) "Enhanced 911 system and enhanced 911
services", a system with the capability to route a 911 request
for service to the correct PSAP and deliver and display database
information, including call-back number and location information
to specialized answering equipment;
[(4)]
(15) "Governing body", the legislative body
responsible for a city, county or city not within a county;
[(5)] (16) "Person", any
individual, firm, partnership, copartnership, joint venture,
association, cooperative organization, corporation, municipal or
private, and whether organized for profit or not, state, county,
political subdivision, state department, commission, board,
bureau or fraternal organization, estate, trust, business or
common law trust, receiver, assignee for the benefit of
creditors, trustee or trustee in bankruptcy, or any other
service user;
[(6)] (17) "Public agency", any
city, county, city not within a county, municipal corporation,
public district or public authority that is tax supported and
located in whole or in part within this state which provides or
has authority to provide fire fighting, law enforcement,
ambulance, emergency medical, or other emergency services;
(18) "Public safety agency", a functional
division of a public agency which provides fire fighting,
police, medical, or other emergency services. For the purpose of
providing 911 emergency services, as provided in this section,
the department of public safety and state highway patrol shall
be considered a public safety agency;
(19) "Public safety answering point" or "PSAP", a
communications facility with enhanced 911 capability, operated
on a twenty-four hour basis, assigned the responsibility of
receiving initial 911 calls and, as appropriate, directly
dispatching of emergency services or, through routing or relay
routing, passing 911 calls to public or private safety agencies;
[(7)] (20) "Service supplier",
any person providing [exchange] telephone or
communications services to any service user in this state;
[(8)] (21) "Service user", any
person, other than a person providing pay telephone service
pursuant to the provisions of section 392.520, RSMo, not
otherwise exempt from taxation, who is provided [exchange]
telephone or communications service in this state[;
(9) "Tariff rate", the rate or rates billed by a
service supplier to a service user as stated in the service
supplier's tariffs, approved by the Missouri public service
commission which represent the service supplier's recurring
charges for exchange access facilities or their equivalent,
exclusive of all taxes, fees, licenses or similar charges
whatsoever].
190.305.
1. In addition to its other powers [for the protection of
the public health], a governing body may provide for the
operation of an emergency [telephone]
communications service and may pay for it by levying an
emergency [telephone] communications tax
for such service in those portions of the governing body's
jurisdiction for which emergency [telephone]
communications service has been contracted. The governing
body may do such other acts as are expedient for the protection
and preservation of the public health and are necessary for the
operation of the emergency [telephone]
communications system. The governing body is hereby
authorized to levy the tax in an amount not to exceed fifteen
percent of the [tariff local] base service
rate, [as defined in section 190.300,] or
seventy-five cents per service user access [line]
per month, whichever is greater, except as provided in sections
[190.325 to 190.329] 190.292 and 190.430,
in those portions of the governing body's jurisdiction for which
emergency [telephone] communications
service has been contracted. In any county of the third
classification with a population of at least thirty-two thousand
but not greater than forty thousand that borders a county of the
first classification, a governing body of a third or fourth
class city may, with the consent of the county commission,
contract for service with a public agency to provide services
within the public agency's jurisdiction when such city is
located wholly within the jurisdiction of the public agency.
Consent shall be demonstrated by the [county commission]
governing body authorizing an election within the public
agency's jurisdiction pursuant to [section 190.320]
subsection 3 of this section. Any contract between
governing bodies and public agencies in existence on August 28,
1996, that meets such criteria prior to August 28, 1996, shall
be recognized if the [county commission]
governing body authorized the election for emergency
telephone service and a vote was held as provided in [section
190.320] subsection 3 of this section. [The
governing body shall provide for a board pursuant to sections
190.327 and 190.328.] The board of any county of the
first classification with more than one hundred four thousand
six hundred but fewer than one hundred four thousand seven
hundred inhabitants shall provide services to a city located in
more than one county only after making an agreement or
contracting with the city for such services, provided that any
agreement or contract in effect, as of January 1, 2006, shall
continue until such time as a successor agreement or contract is
entered into by the board and city and such agreement or
contract is to provide services for a period of three or more
years.
2. No provision in this chapter shall be
construed to require any municipality within any county of the
second classification with more than fifty-four thousand two
hundred but fewer than fifty-four thousand three hundred
inhabitants that has established an emergency communications
service to discontinue the emergency communications service in
the event that the county in which the municipality is located
establishes an emergency communications service and moves to a
higher county classification.
3. Before any governing body may establish an
emergency communications service and impose an emergency
communications tax under the provisions of this section, it
shall submit a proposal to its voters for the approval of an
emergency communications service and such tax. The question
submitted shall contain, but need not be limited to the
following language:
May the ............ (insert name of county or city) establish a
public safety answering point and impose an emergency
communications tax to finance the emergency communications
service? The initial tax imposed shall be ........... (insert in
twenty-five words or less the tax per access per year or the
approximation of what the tax will cost the taxpayer).
If
a majority of the votes cast on the proposal by the qualified
voters voting thereon are in favor of the proposal, then the
governing body may establish an emergency communications service
and impose a tax. If a majority of the votes cast on the
proposal by the qualified voters voting thereon are opposed to
the proposal, then the governing body submitting the proposal
shall not be allowed to implement the provisions of this section
until it has again submitted such proposal to its qualified
voters and a majority of the votes cast are in favor of the
proposal.
4. The tax shall be utilized to pay for the
operation of emergency [telephone]
communications service and the operational costs associated
with the answering and dispatching of emergency calls as deemed
appropriate by the governing body, and may be levied at any time
subsequent to execution of a contract with the provider of such
service at the discretion of the governing body or board,
but collection of such tax shall not begin prior to twenty-seven
months before operation of the emergency [telephone]
communications service [and dispatch center].
[3.] 5. Such tax shall be
levied only upon the [tariff] base service
rate. No tax shall be imposed upon more than one hundred
exchange access facilities or their equivalent per [person]
service user per location.
[4.] 6. Every [billed]
service user is liable for the tax until it has been paid to the
service supplier.
[5.] 7. The duty to collect the
tax from a service user shall commence at such time as specified
by the governing body in accordance with the provisions of [sections
190.300 to 190.320] this section. The tax required
to be collected by the service supplier shall be [added
to and may be stated separately] clearly identified as
an emergency communications tax in the billings to the
service user.
[6.] 8. Nothing in this section
imposes any obligation upon a service supplier to take any legal
action to enforce the collection of the tax imposed by this
section. The service supplier shall provide the governing body
with a list of amounts uncollected along with the names and
addresses of the service users refusing to pay the tax imposed
by this section, if any.
[7.] 9. The tax imposed by this
section shall be collected insofar as practicable at the same
time as, and along with, the charges for the [tariff]
base service rate in accordance with the regular billing
practice of the service supplier. The [tariff]
base service rates determined by or stated on the billing of
the service supplier are presumed to be correct if such charges
were made in accordance with the service supplier's business
practices. The presumption may be rebutted by evidence which
establishes that an incorrect [tariff] base
service rate was charged.
10. Annually, the governing body shall review
revenues, expenditures, and existing balances from the prior
year and adjust the tax as appropriate.
11. Any governing body adopting an emergency
communications tax under this section may establish an emergency
services communications board. The powers and duties of the
board may be defined by order or ordinance of the governing
body, and such powers shall include but not be limited to the
powers contained in section 190.294 relating to administrative
control and management of the emergency communications service.
Members of the board shall be appointed by the governing body
and shall consist of no fewer than eleven persons that reside
within the area served by the board. At least six of such
members shall represent public safety agencies. All board
members shall be appointed to serve for a term of three years,
except that of the first board members appointed, five members
shall be appointed for a one-year term, three members for
two-year terms, and three members for three-year terms. Board
members may be reappointed. The members of the board shall not
receive compensation for their services, but may be reimbursed
for their actual and necessary expenses.
12. Any tax that was adopted under sections 190.300
to 190.330 before August 28, 2008, shall continue to be
effective and shall be deemed to provide for funding the
provision of an emergency communications service for emergency
dispatching.
190.308.
1. [In any county that has established an emergency
telephone service pursuant to sections 190.300 to 190.320,]
It shall be unlawful for any person to misuse the emergency [telephone]
communications service. For the purposes of this section,
["emergency" means any incident involving danger to life
or property that calls for an emergency response dispatch of
police, fire, EMS or other public safety organization, "misuse
the emergency telephone service",] "misuse"
includes, but is not limited to, repeatedly calling the "911"
for nonemergency situations causing operators or equipment to be
in use [when emergency situations may need such operators
or equipment] , and "repeatedly" means three or
more times within a one-month period.
2. Any violation of this section is a class B
misdemeanor.
190.325.
1. In any county of the first classification without a charter
form of government with a population of at least one hundred
fifty thousand inhabitants but less than two hundred thousand
inhabitants, the county commission may use all or a part of the
moneys derived from the emergency [telephone tax]
communications authorized pursuant to section 190.305 for
[central] PSAP dispatching of fire
protection, emergency ambulance service or any other emergency
services, which may include the purchase and maintenance of
communications and emergency equipment. In the event such
commission chooses to use the tax provided in that section for
such services, the provisions of sections 190.300 to 190.320
shall apply except as provided in this section.
2. The tax shall not exceed a percentage of the base
[tariff] service rate and such percentage
shall not exceed an amount equal to a maximum rate of one dollar
thirty cents per line per month, the provisions of section
190.305 to the contrary notwithstanding. The tax imposed by this
section and the amounts required to be collected are due
monthly. The amount of tax collected in one calendar month by
the service supplier shall be remitted to the governing body no
later than one month after the close of a calendar month. On or
before the last day of each calendar month, a return for the
preceding month shall be filed with the governing body in such
form as the governing body and service supplier shall agree. The
service supplier shall include the list of any service user
refusing to pay the tax imposed by this section with each return
filing. The service supplier required to file the return shall
deliver the return, together with a remittance of the amount of
the tax collected. The records shall be maintained for a period
of one year from the time the tax is collected. From every
remittance to the governing body made on or before the date when
the same becomes due, the service supplier required to remit the
same shall be entitled to deduct and retain, as a collection
fee, an amount equal to two percent thereof.
3. Nothing in this section shall be construed to
require any municipality or other political subdivision to join
the [central] PSAP dispatching system
established pursuant to this section. The governing body of any
municipality or other political subdivision may contract with
the board established pursuant to section 190.327 for such
services or portion of such services, or for the purchase and
maintenance of communication and emergency equipment.
190.327.
1. Immediately upon the decision by the commission to utilize a
portion of the emergency telephone tax for [central]
PSAP dispatching and an affirmative vote of the telephone
tax, the commission shall appoint the initial members of a board
which shall administer the funds and oversee the provision of
[central] PSAP dispatching for emergency
services in the county and in municipalities and other political
subdivisions which have contracted for such service. Beginning
with the general election in 1992, all board members shall be
elected according to this section and other applicable laws of
this state. At the time of the appointment of the initial
members of the board, the commission shall relinquish to the
board and no longer exercise the duties prescribed in this
chapter with regard to the provision of emergency telephone
service and in chapter 321, RSMo, with regard to the provision
of [central] PSAP dispatching service, and
such duties shall be exercised by the board.
2. Elections for board members may be held on
general municipal election day, as defined in subsection 3 of
section 115.121, RSMo, after approval by a simple majority of
the county commission.
3. For the purpose of providing the services
described in this section, the board shall have the following
powers, authority and privileges:
(1) To have and use a corporate seal;
(2) To sue and be sued, and be a party to suits,
actions and proceedings;
(3) To enter into contracts, franchises and
agreements with any person, partnership, association or
corporation, public or private, affecting the affairs of the
board;
(4) To acquire, construct, purchase, maintain,
dispose of and encumber real and personal property, including
leases and easements;
(5) To have the management, control and supervision
of all the business affairs of the board and the construction,
installation, operation and maintenance of any improvements;
(6) To hire and retain agents and employees and to
provide for their compensation including health and pension
benefits;
(7) To adopt and amend bylaws and any other rules
and regulations;
(8) To fix, charge and collect the taxes and fees
authorized by law for the purpose of implementing and operating
the services described in this section;
(9) To pay all expenses connected with the first
election and all subsequent elections; and
(10) To have and exercise all rights and powers
necessary or incidental to or implied from the specific powers
granted in this subsection. Such specific powers shall not be
considered as a limitation upon any power necessary or
appropriate to carry out the purposes and intent of sections
190.300 to 190.329.
190.328.
1. Beginning in 1997, within the area from which voters and the
commission have approved the provision of [central]
emergency communications service dispatching for
emergency services by a public agency for an area containing
third or fourth class cities in counties of the third
classification with a population of at least thirty-two thousand
but no greater than forty thousand that border a county of the
first classification but do not border the Mississippi River,
the initial board shall consist of two members from each
township within such area and one at-large member who shall
serve as the initial chairperson of such board.
2. Within the area from which voters and the
commission have approved the provision of [central]
emergency communications service dispatching for
emergency services by a public agency for an area containing
third or fourth class cities in counties of the third
classification with a population of at least thirty-two thousand
but no greater than forty thousand that border a county of the
first classification, voters shall elect a board to administer
funds and oversee the provision of [central]
emergency communications service dispatching for emergency
services. Such board shall consist of two members elected from
each of the townships within such area and one member elected at
large who shall serve as the chairperson of the board.
3. Of those initially elected to the board as
provided in this section, four from the townships shall be
elected to a term of two years, and four from the townships and
the at-large member shall be elected to a term of four years.
Upon the expiration of these initial terms, all members shall
thereafter be elected to terms of four years.
190.329.
1. Except in areas from which voters and the commission have
approved the provision of [central] emergency
communications service dispatching for emergency services by
a public agency for an area containing third or fourth class
cities located in counties of the third classification with a
population of at least thirty-two thousand but no greater than
forty thousand that border a county of the first classification
but do not border the Mississippi River, the initial board shall
consist of seven members appointed without regard for political
party who shall be selected from and shall represent the fire
protection districts, ambulance districts, sheriff's department,
municipalities, any other emergency services and the general
public. This initial board shall serve until its successor board
is duly elected and installed in office. The commission shall
ensure geographic representation of the county by appointing no
more than four members from any one commission district of the
county.
2. Beginning in 1992, three members shall be elected
from each commission district and one member shall be elected at
large, with such at-large member to be a voting member and
chairman of the board. Of those first elected, four members from
commission districts shall be elected for terms of two years and
two members from commission districts and the member at large
shall be elected for terms of four years. In 1994, and
thereafter, all terms of office shall be for four years, except
as provided in subsection 3 of this section. Any vacancy on the
board shall be filled in the same manner as the initial
appointment was made. Four members shall constitute a quorum.
3. Upon approval by the county commission for the
election of board members to be held on general municipal
election day, pursuant to subsection 2 of section 190.327, the
terms of those board members then holding office shall be
reduced by seven months. After a board member's term has been
reduced, all following terms for that position shall be for four
years.
190.330.
1. Except as provided in this section, every owner and operator
of a multistation or private branch exchange (PBX) multiline
telephone system purchased or upgraded after January 1, 2009,
shall design and maintain the system to provide a call-back
number and an emergency response location.
2. Each multiline telephone system operator shall
demonstrate or otherwise inform each new telephone system user
how to call 911 from that particular multiline telephone system.
3. (1) Each multiline telephone system operator
shall coordinate with its local service supplier and the
enhanced 911 service provider to determine what specifications
to follow in order to successfully transmit the call-back number
and emergency response location to the correct emergency
communications service in the correct format. Each multiline
telephone system operator shall arrange to update the ALI
database with appropriate master street address guideline valid
address, emergency response location, and call-back information
for all additions, moves, changes, or deletions within
twenty-four hours of record update or completion of
installation.
(2) The multiline telephone system operator and the
multiline telephone system vendor that installs or maintains the
system shall test the ability to dial 911 from each station or
line associated with the multiline telephone system at the time
the system or new trunks are installed or upgraded. Testing
shall be coordinated with the PSAP in advance.
4. On or after January 1, 2009, operators of shared
multiline telephone systems, whenever installed, serving
residential customers shall ensure that the shared multiline
telephone system is connected to the public switched network and
that 911 calls from the system result in at least one
distinctive automatic number identification and automatic
location identification for each residential unit, except those
requirements shall not apply if the residential facility
maintains one of the following:
(1) ALI for each respective emergency response
location;