The head of an organization that represents Iowa’s local 911 providers is asking Gov. Kim Reynolds to veto a provision in the budget bill that allows the state Department of Homeland Security to seek reimbursement from local providers.
Chris Jasper, president of the National Emergency Number Association’s Iowa chapter, says the provision giving the Iowa 911 Program authority to charge local 911 service boards for “reasonable costs” is too vague.
“There's no amounts, there's no definition of what a reasonable cost is. There's no definition of how the billing's gonna work or anything, just that they're gonna send bills and we're expected to pay them within 30 days.”
Leaders of the Iowa 911 Program have said they’re running out of money. 911 service is funded with a $1 surcharge on landlines and wireless lines, which is divided between the state Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and local 911 service boards.
Jasper says that surcharge hasn’t changed since 2013, and his organization has proposed raising it.
“We proposed that it be raised to $1.10 dollars, $1.25 to help offset some of that cost with the state and it sounds like the legislators weren't willing to do that, so this was their answer.”