Transfer and eliminate provisions of the Emergency Telephone Communications Systems Act and the Enhanced Wireless 911 Services Act and change provisions of the 911 Service System Act
LB362 reorganizes Nebraska’s 911-related statutes by transferring and consolidating provisions from the Emergency Telephone Communications Systems Act and the Enhanced Wireless 911 Services Act into a revised 911 Service System Act. The bill updates terminology throughout the law to reflect modern emergency communications, including “next generation” 911, enhanced wireless service, public safety answering points, originating service providers, and service systems. It also repeals or eliminates obsolete provisions and harmonizes related sections governing the Public Service Commission (PSC), local governing bodies, wireless carriers, telecommunications providers, and funding mechanisms.
A major feature of the bill is the creation and administration of a statewide 911 service system and associated Service System Fund. The PSC is designated as the statewide coordinating authority for planning, implementation, management, maintenance, funding assistance, standards, and oversight of the system. The bill also establishes a Service System Advisory Committee, sets out reporting and auditing requirements, and authorizes the PSC to adopt rules, assess civil penalties, and distribute funds for eligible 911-related costs. In addition, the bill revises surcharge provisions for traditional telephone service, wireless service, and prepaid wireless service to support 911 and related emergency communications functions.
LB362 substantially revises Nebraska’s telecommunications and emergency communications statutes by moving 911 system provisions into a single framework and updating them for next-generation capabilities. It affects the Public Service Commission’s jurisdiction, the duties of telecommunications and wireless carriers, local governments that operate or contract for 911 service, public safety answering points, and the funding streams used to support emergency communications infrastructure. The bill also changes how surcharges are imposed, collected, remitted, and reported, and it creates or modifies statutory definitions that will govern future regulation, contracts, and compliance obligations.
The overall sentiment around LB362 appears strongly favorable and noncontroversial. The bill advanced and passed with unanimous or near-unanimous support at each recorded stage, including a 48-0 final reading vote, and it was approved by the Governor. The vote history suggests broad legislative agreement that the bill was a needed modernization and consolidation of Nebraska’s 911 laws rather than a contested policy shift.
No major opposition is reflected in the available committee or floor history, and there are no committee transcript snippets indicating substantive debate. The likely areas of technical complexity are the PSC’s expanded administrative role, the funding and surcharge structure for 911 services, and the transition from older emergency telephone and enhanced wireless statutes to the new service system framework. Any concern would likely have centered on implementation details for carriers, local governments, and public safety answering points rather than on the bill’s overall purpose.