Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 10. MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DISASTER AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

CHAPTER 4. STATE EMERGENCY TELEPHONE SYSTEM

Part 1. Emergency Telephone System Plans

Department Duties And Powers -- 9-1-1 Planning

10-4-107. Department duties and powers -- 9-1-1 planning. (1) There is a 9-1-1 program administered by the department.

(2) The department shall:

(a) allocate and distribute 9-1-1 fees;

(b) update the allocation and distribution of 9-1-1 fees in accordance with 10-4-305 and rules adopted pursuant to 10-4-108;

(c) provide grants in accordance with 10-4-306. In awarding the grants, the department shall review and approve requests for funding in accordance with 10-4-306.

(d) monitor the expenditure of program funds for:

(i) 9-1-1 purposes by local and tribal governments that host public safety answering points; and

(ii) allowable uses of grant funds by entities;

(e) establish a statewide 9-1-1 plan in accordance with subsection (3);

(f) staff and fund the administrative costs of the 9-1-1 advisory council established in 10-4-105;

(g) accept federal funds granted by congress or by executive order and gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of administering this chapter; and

(h) establish allowable uses of funds by local and tribal governments that host public safety answering points that receive distributions pursuant to 10-4-305 and ensure that funds are expended only for allowable uses.

(3) A statewide 9-1-1 plan must include:

(a) to the maximum extent feasible the use of existing commercial communications infrastructure; and

(b) 9-1-1 system standards and support efforts to migrate legacy technologies to next-generation 9-1-1 technologies when appropriate and to provide for the implementation of future 9-1-1 technologies. Any standards adopted by the department for legacy 9-1-1 technologies or principles adopted for baseline next-generation 9-1-1 technologies must be:

(i) flexible and graduated, while ensuring minimum service levels; and

(ii) based on industry standards.

(4) The department, in fulfilling its duties pursuant to subsection (2), may request necessary information from local and tribal governments. If a local or tribal government does not comply with the request, the department may withhold funding distributions as provided for in 10-4-109.

History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 367, L. 2017; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 172, L. 2019; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 14, L. 2021.