SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 18
(Originating in the Committee on Finance)
Requesting the joint committee on government and finance to make a
study of the West Virginia public service commission and its
proposal to authorize public wireless telecommunications
utilities to provide local enhanced emergency telephone
systems, charge a fee for the telephone service and distribute
funds collected from the wireless enhanced emergency telephone
system fees to counties that have a system.
Whereas, The West Virginia public service commission has been
given broad authority to promulgate rules for the efficient use of
emergency telephone systems for residents of the state; and
Whereas, The wireless enhanced emergency telephone system fee
may result in approximately one hundred seventy-nine thousand nine
hundred seventy-three dollars in monthly revenue from public
wireless telecommunications utilities in the fifty-five counties;
and
Whereas, The money received from the wireless enhanced
emergency telephone system fees will be allocated pro rata to
counties with an enhanced emergency telephone system and placed
into an escrow account for counties without an enhanced emergency telephone system, until these counties implement an enhanced
emergency telephone system; and
Whereas, The wireless enhanced emergency telephone system fee
may lessen the cost of implementing and maintaining enhanced
emergency telephone systems and serve as additional funding for
enhanced emergency telephone systems; and
Whereas, Rural counties without an enhanced emergency
telephone system will receive the funds in an escrow account upon
development of an enhanced emergency telephone system and thereby
may avoid charging county residents a high emergency telephone
system fee; and
Whereas, Twenty counties do not have enhanced emergency
telephone systems to serve the needs of their residents; therefore,
be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the joint committee on government and finance is hereby
requested to appoint an interim committee to study the West
Virginia public service commission and its proposal to authorize
public wireless telecommunications utilities to provide local
enhanced emergency telephone services, charge a fee for that
service and distribute funds collected by the fees to counties
having that service to aid with the cost of an enhanced emergency
telephone system; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the interim committee appointed by the
joint committee on government and finance shall consist of twelve
members, six of whom shall be members of the Senate and six of whom
shall be members of the House of Delegates; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the joint committee on government and
finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 1997, on
its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with any
drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its
recommendation; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this
study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be
paid from legislative appropriations to the joint committee on
government and finance.