Legislation streamlining the statewide 911 system signed into law
STATEHOUSE – State Representative Mike Karickhoff (R-Kokomo) authored legislation to streamline the statewide 911 system to increase disaster preparedness during emergency situations. House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1475 increases funding for the statewide 911 system as well as provides flexibility for local fiscal bodies to fairly distribute more funds to support their Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs). This legislation has now been signed into law by Governor Mike Pence.
“For several years now, lawmakers have worked in a bipartisan manner to streamline our statewide 911 system, which is incredibly important to our communities,” said Rep. Karickhoff. “It was a pleasure to champion this legislation which works to improve preparedness and increase public safety for all Hoosiers.”
This new law increases funding for the statewide 911 system in an effort to ensure safety and emergency preparedness across Indiana. It removes the requirement that a county council or county income tax council must impose additional tax rates as a condition of imposing an additional tax rate for public safety local option income tax.
To supplement the revenue generated at the local level, the law also increases the statewide 911 user fee to support PSAPs around the state. This legislation provides greater flexibility for local fiscal bodies to fund their PSAPs while standardizing the user fee.
“This will ensure that every community in Indiana has the ability communicate in an effective and efficient manner in the event of an emergency or disaster,” said Rep. Karickhoff.
HEA 1475 also increases accountability by allowing the Statewide 911 Board to audit telecommunications service providers on an annual basis to determine compliance. Additionally, the law adds the director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the state Geographic Information Systems officer to the board.
HEA 1475 goes into effect July 1, 2015.
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State Rep. Mike Karickhoff serves as Budget Subcommittee Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and on the Natural Resources Committee. He is also the chair of the Indiana Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. Rep. Karickhoff represents portions of Howard and Grant counties, most of the city of Kokomo and the towns of Swayzee and Greentown.
