SJR 79

Under current law, a communications provider is required to collect from each

subscriber of a communications service a monthly fee of 75 cents on each

communications service connection with an assigned telephone number, including

a communications service provided via a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP)

connection. The communications provider must identify the fee as a “charge for

funding countywide 911 systems plus police and fire protection fee”. The fee is

commonly referred to as the “police and fire protection fee.” The fee is administered

by the Public Service Commission, and the revenue from the fee is deposited in the

police and fire protection fund. Under current law, most of the revenue from the

police and fire protection fund is used to make county and municipal aid payments.

This proposed constitutional amendment, proposed to the 2021 legislature on

first consideration, requires that revenues from a police and fire protection fee be

deposited into a police and fire fund and used only for county and municipal police

and fire protection services, including county and municipal emergency response

systems.

A proposed constitutional amendment requires adoption by two successive

legislatures, and ratification by the people, before it can become effective.