HF 3966

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/21/2024 04:02pm

A bill for an act
relating to public safety; establishing public safety telecommunicator training and
continuing education requirements; establishing Public Safety Telecommunicator
Training and Standards Board; authorizing rulemaking; requiring a report;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 403.02,
subdivision 17c; Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 403.11, subdivision
1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 403.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 403.02, subdivision 17c, is amended to read:

Subd. 17c.

deleted text begin 911 deleted text end new text begin Public safety new text end telecommunicator.

" deleted text begin 911 deleted text end new text begin Public safety new text end telecommunicator"
means a person employed by a new text begin primary, secondary, or Tribal new text end public safety answering point,
an emergency medical dispatch service provider, or both, deleted text begin who is qualified deleted text end new text begin and serves as an
initial first responder new text end to answer incoming emergency telephone calls or provide for the
appropriate emergency response either directly or through communication with the
appropriate public safety answering point. new text begin Public safety telecommunicator includes persons
who supervise public safety telecommunicators. Pursuant to section 403.055, public safety
telecommunicators and those who directly manage or supervise public safety
telecommunicators must be certified by the commissioner.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective August 1, 2024.
new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [403.053] PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATOR TRAINING AND
STANDARDS BOARD.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Membership. new text end

new text begin (a) The Public Safety Telecommunicator Training and
Standards Board consists of the following members:
new text end

new text begin (1) the commissioner or a designee;
new text end

new text begin (2) six sheriffs, including one from each of the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association districts,
appointed by the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association;
new text end

new text begin (3) one representative from an emergency medical services secondary public safety
answering point appointed by the Minnesota Ambulance Association;
new text end

new text begin (4) one representative of emergency medical service providers appointed by the Minnesota
Ambulance Association;
new text end

new text begin (5) one chief of police appointed by the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association;
new text end

new text begin (6) one fire chief appointed by the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association;
new text end

new text begin (7) one elected county official appointed by the Association of Minnesota Counties;
new text end

new text begin (8) one elected city official appointed by the League of Minnesota Cities; and
new text end

new text begin (9) ten members from among the following public safety answering points' personnel:
new text end

new text begin (i) one member from each of the six Minnesota Sheriffs' Association districts appointed
by the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association;
new text end

new text begin (ii) one member from the State Patrol public safety answering points appointed by the
chief of the State Patrol;
new text end

new text begin (iii) one member from a Tribal public safety answering point;
new text end

new text begin (iv) one member from a municipal public safety answering point appointed by the League
of Minnesota Cities; and
new text end

new text begin (v) one member from a nontraditional public safety answering point appointed by the
Statewide Emergency Communications Board.
new text end

new text begin (b) For purposes of this subdivision, "nontraditional public safety answering point"
includes the following public safety answering points: University of Minnesota, Dakota
911, Ramsey County, Anoka County, the Metropolitan Airports Commission, Metro Transit,
Red River Regional Dispatch Center, Rice-Steele, Rochester-Olmsted, Nobles County, and
Fort Snelling.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Terms; compensation; removal; vacancies; meetings. new text end

new text begin (a) Members of the
board may serve four-year terms.
new text end

new text begin (b) Members serve without compensation.
new text end

new text begin (c) A member may be removed by their respective appointing authority at any time for
cause or after missing three consecutive meetings of the board. The chair of the board must
inform the appointing authority of a member missing three consecutive board meetings.
Vacancies must be filled according to the appointments made under subdivision 1.
new text end

new text begin (d) Members elect a chair biennially.
new text end

new text begin (e) Meetings must be called at the request of the chair or upon the written request of a
majority of the members of the board.
new text end

new text begin (f) Membership on the board does not constitute the holding of a public office, and
members of the board are not required to take and file oaths of office or submit a public
official's bond before serving on the board.
new text end

new text begin (g) No member of the board is disqualified from holding any public office or employment
by reason of appointment to the board. Notwithstanding any general, special, or local
restriction, ordinance, or city charter to the contrary, no member must forfeit any public
office or employment by reason of appointment to the board.
new text end

new text begin (h) All other matters relating to board operations are governed by chapter 214.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Powers and duties. new text end

new text begin (a) The board must:
new text end

new text begin (1) establish public safety telecommunicator certification requirements;
new text end

new text begin (2) oversee the public safety telecommunicator training and certification program;
new text end

new text begin (3) certify public safety telecommunicators who satisfy certification requirements;
new text end

new text begin (4) make recommendations regarding public safety telecommunicator training needs;
new text end

new text begin (5) establish standards for education programs and develop procedures for continuing
oversight of the programs; and
new text end

new text begin (6) establish qualifications for public safety telecommunicator instructors.
new text end

new text begin (b) The board may:
new text end

new text begin (1) hire or contract for technical or professional services according to section 15.061;
new text end

new text begin (2) pay expenses necessary to carry out its duties;
new text end

new text begin (3) apply for, receive, and accept grants, gifts, devices, and endowments that any entity
may make to the board for the purposes of this section and may use any money given to it
consistent with the terms and conditions under which the money was received and for the
purposes stated;
new text end

new text begin (4) accept funding from the 911 emergency telecommunications service account in the
special revenue fund and allocate funding to Minnesota public safety answering points in
the form of reimbursements that are consistent with the board's recommendations, local
expenditure reimbursement under section 403.113, subdivision 3, and Federal
Communications Commission regulations;
new text end

new text begin (5) set guidelines regarding how the allocated reimbursement funds must be disbursed;
new text end

new text begin (6) set and make available to the public safety answering points standards governing the
use of funds reimbursed under this section;
new text end

new text begin (7) make recommendations to the legislature to improve the quality of public safety
telecommunicator training;
new text end

new text begin (8) collect and provide data subject to section 13.03;
new text end

new text begin (9) conduct studies and surveys and make reports; and
new text end

new text begin (10) conduct other activities necessary to carry out its duties.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Certification requirements; rulemaking. new text end

new text begin (a) No later than July 1, 2026, the
board must adopt rules with respect to certification requirements for public safety
telecommunicators and establish in rule criteria for training, certification, and continuing
education that incorporate the requirements set forth in paragraph (b).
new text end

new text begin (b) Rules established under this subdivision must define:
new text end

new text begin (1) a set of learning objectives that ensure the professional competency of public safety
telecommunicators;
new text end

new text begin (2) the minimum course of study required for public safety telecommunicators to
demonstrate professional competence;
new text end

new text begin (3) the term of certification;
new text end

new text begin (4) the term of recertification;
new text end

new text begin (5) the certification of existing public safety telecommunicators;
new text end

new text begin (6) the certification of public safety telecommunicators with out-of-state certifications;
and
new text end

new text begin (7) the certification application and approval process.
new text end

new text begin (c) Certification of a public safety telecommunicator must occur within one year of the
date of hire unless an exception is sought, as defined in rules.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Reporting requirements. new text end

new text begin In conjunction with each biennial budget process
under section 16A.10, the board must submit a report to the governor and to the chairs and
ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over public safety
finance and policy.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective August 1, 2024.
new text end

Sec. 3.

new text begin [403.055] PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS; CERTIFICATION;
TRAINING; CONTINUING EDUCATION.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Certification required. new text end

new text begin A public safety telecommunicator must be
certified by the commissioner under this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Certification requirements; rulemaking. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of public
safety, in coordination with the Statewide Emergency Communications Board, must adopt
rules for certification requirements for public safety telecommunicators and establish criteria
in rule for training, certification, and continuing education that incorporate the requirements
set forth in paragraph (b).
new text end

new text begin (b) Candidates for public safety telecommunicator certification and recertification must
demonstrate, at a minimum, proficiency in the following areas:
new text end

new text begin (1) public safety telecommunicator roles and responsibilities;
new text end

new text begin (2) applicable legal concepts;
new text end

new text begin (3) interpersonal skills;
new text end

new text begin (4) emergency communications technology and information systems;
new text end

new text begin (5) 911 call processing;
new text end

new text begin (6) emergency management;
new text end

new text begin (7) radio communications for public safety telecommunicators;
new text end

new text begin (8) stress management; and
new text end

new text begin (9) quality performance standards management.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Continuing education. new text end

new text begin To maintain certification under this section, a public
safety telecommunicator must complete 48 hours of approved continuing education
coursework every two years.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 403.11, subdivision 1, is amended
to read:

Subdivision 1.

Emergency telecommunications service fee; account.

(a) Each customer
of a wireless or wire-line switched or packet-based telecommunications service provider
connected to the public switched telephone network that furnishes service capable of
originating a 911 emergency telephone call is assessed a fee based upon the number of
wired or wireless telephone lines, or their equivalent, to cover the costs of ongoing
maintenance and related improvements for trunking and central office switching equipment
for 911 emergency telecommunications service, to offset administrative and staffing costs
of the commissioner related to managing the 911 emergency telecommunications service
program, to make distributions provided for in section 403.113, and to offset the costs,
including administrative and staffing costs, incurred by the State Patrol Division of the
Department of Public Safety in handling 911 emergency calls made from wireless phones.

(b) Money remaining in the 911 emergency telecommunications service account after
all other obligations are paid must not cancel and is carried forward to subsequent years
and deleted text begin may deleted text end new text begin must new text end be appropriated deleted text begin from time to time deleted text end to the commissioner to provide financial
assistance to counties for the improvement of local emergency telecommunications services new text begin ,
including but not limited to public safety telecommunicator training, certification, and
continuing education new text end .

(c) The fee may not be more than 95 cents a month for each customer access line or
other basic access service, including trunk equivalents as designated by the Public Utilities
Commission for access charge purposes and including wireless telecommunications services.
With the approval of the commissioner of management and budget, the commissioner of
public safety shall establish the amount of the fee within the limits specified and inform the
companies and carriers of the amount to be collected. When the revenue bonds authorized
under section 403.27, subdivision 1, have been fully paid or defeased, the commissioner
shall reduce the fee to reflect that debt service on the bonds is no longer needed. The
commissioner shall provide companies and carriers a minimum of 45 days' notice of each
fee change. The fee must be the same for all customers, except that the fee imposed under
this subdivision does not apply to prepaid wireless telecommunications service, which is
instead subject to the fee imposed under section 403.161, subdivision 1, paragraph (a).

(d) The fee must be collected by each wireless or wire-line telecommunications service
provider subject to the fee. Fees are payable to and must be submitted to the commissioner
monthly before the 25th of each month following the month of collection, except that fees
may be submitted quarterly if less than $250 a month is due, or annually if less than $25 a
month is due. Receipts must be deposited in the state treasury and credited to a 911
emergency telecommunications service account in the special revenue fund. The money in
the account may only be used for 911 telecommunications services.

(e) Competitive local exchanges carriers holding certificates of authority from the Public
Utilities Commission are eligible to receive payment for recurring 911 services.

Sec. 5. new text begin PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATOR CERTIFICATION AND
TRAINING REIMBURSEMENT; APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $1,450,000 in fiscal year 2024 is appropriated from the 911 emergency
telecommunications service account in the special revenue fund to the commissioner of
public safety for administrative and software costs and rulemaking to establish and review
911 public safety telecommunicator certification and continuing education standards as
described in Minnesota Statutes, section 403.055. The base is $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2025
and each year thereafter.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end