Large infrastructure Bill covers many topics, including public safety
March 22, 2021
House Hearing on Infrastructure Investment Scheduled for 3/22/21
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has scheduled a March 22 hearing on infrastructure investment and the Leading Infrastructure For Tomorrow’s America (LIFT America) Act, which was introduced last week and which, along with funding for energy, water, and health care infrastructure, includes $80 billion for broadband deployment, and $15 billion to fund the deployment and implementation of next generation 9-1-1 services. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and will be conducted remotely via videoconferencing.
Link to Hearing - https://energycommerce.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings/full-committee-hearing-on-lift-america-revitalizing-our-nations
March 11, 2021
Infrastructure Bill That Includes $15B in NG 9-1-1 Funding Introduced into House
The 32 Democratic members of the Energy and Commerce Committee introduced the Leading Infrastructure For Tomorrow’s America Act (LIFT America Act) which includes $15 billion in next-generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) funding. The legislation invests more than $312 billion in clean energy, energy efficiency, drinking water, broadband, and health care infrastructure.
The bill, if passed by the House and Senate, would allocate $15 billion in grants for the deployment and implementation of NG 9-1-1 services across the country to protect American lives through more accessible, interoperable, effective and resilient 9-1-1 services that allow callers to send text messages, images or videos to 9-1-1 in times of emergency.
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International noted that the NG 9-1-1 portion of the bill also includes other key provisions, including protecting and building upon existing investments in NG 9-1-1, promoting interoperability, preserving state and local control, providing significant resources for cybersecurity, establishing a mechanism for ongoing public-safety input for the grant program and achieving NG 9-1-1 capabilities for emergency communications centers nationwide.
The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) expressed concern about some of the provisions in the bill. The association noted that the introduced bill includes elements that it said could “complicate and delay NG 9-1-1 deployments, waste scarce federal resources and shift authority over 9-1-1 from states and localities to the federal government.”
Energy & Commerce Press Release -https://energycommerce.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/ec-democrats-introduce-lift-america-act-that-invests-in-clean-energy
Legislative Information - https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1848?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22HR1848%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=1
Additional Articles -
Urgent Communications - https://urgentcomm.com/2021/03/17/house-proposes-15-billion-for-ng911-funding-in-new-infrastructure-bill/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter