NENA Concerned About 9-1-1 Funding Proposal in U.S. House
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Recently, NENA and allied groups sent letters to U.S. House and Senate leaders and the chairs and ranking members of the relevant congressional committees, offering text for a Next Generation 9-1-1 Act of 2021 that would accelerate the deployment of state-of-the-art NG9-1-1 across the United States.
Representatives from NENA and other groups have been working with congressional leaders to craft 9-1-1 language for inclusion in the major infrastructure bill being prepared for votes this spring. But the "LIFT America" bill introduced today includes elements that could complicate and delay NG9-1-1 deployments, waste scarce federal resources, and shift authority over 9-1-1 from states and localities to the federal government.
"The infrastructure bill is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix the cracks in the foundation of all public safety response: America’s 9-1-1 systems," said Brian Fontes, CEO of NENA. "It is absolutely essential that we get it right. But unfortunately, the language introduced today could strand already-substantial state investments in NG9-1-1 deployments, and create cybersecurity risks for state, local, and tribal governments."
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