Report Title:

Appropriation; Non-Emergency Reporting System

Description:

Provides a grant-in-aid to the City and County of Honolulu development costs of a 311 non-emergency reporting system, including a study to develop an RFP. Effective July 1, 2020. (SB2074 HD2)

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2074

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

H.D. 2

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

Making an APPROPRIATION for development of a NON-EMERGENCY REPORTING SYSTEM, known as 3-1-1.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. In 1997, the federal communications commission designated 3-1-1 as a non-emergency, one-stop phone number for public services. As such, the city and county of Honolulu proposed to develop a 3-1-1 system to better serve the residents of the State of Hawaii.

The city and county of Honolulu, through the mayor’s office and the department of customer services, is currently defining requirements for a 3-1-1 system, working together with first responders and neighbor island counties.

Initially, this system can be used to relieve the 9-1-1 system of non-emergency phone calls, which number over one million calls annually. Subsequently, the services could expand to include all of the services offered by each county, which may include but are not limited to:

(1) Water and sewer services;

(2) Park permit requests;

(3) Department of motor vehicles services;

(4) Voter registration;

(5) Public transportation services, schedules, and routes;

(6) Building permit information;

(7) Public golf courses;

(8) Community outreach programs;

(9) Employment opportunities with local government;

(10) Property tax information;

(11) Road repairs and pothole reporting;

(12) Event permits; and

(13) Generally hazardous conditions, such as lights not working at a park, hanging tree limbs, and street sign graffiti.

Future phases of the 3-1-1 system can be expanded to support state of Hawaii functions, including but not limited to:

(1) General excise tax licensing inquiries;

(2) Income tax filing information;

(3) Department of health inquiries;

(4) Registering business in Hawaii; and

(5) Driving directions to Aloha stadium.

The legislature further finds that a 3-1-1 system is necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare, while providing better access to public services.

SECTION 2. (a) The purpose of this Act is to provide a grant-in-aid appropriation to the city and county of Honolulu to develop a 3-1-1 non-emergency reporting system, including a study to develop a request for proposal for the system. The 3-1-1 non-emergency reporting system shall include but not be limited to:

(1) A 3-1-1 call function to receive non-emergency phone requests;

(2) A website that includes:

(A) information on public services; and

(B) An online form to be filled out by the public;

(3) Personnel to handle phone-in requests;

(4) Call management and records management systems;

(5) A database of information to support the 3-1-1 system;

(6) Improved 9-1-1 and 3-1-1 information in telephone directories to instruct the public on usage of the phone systems; and

(7) An educational program and services to inform users about the new system and how to access and use the system.

(b) To accomplish all of the requirements for the 3-1-1 system, the study to develop a request for proposal shall include but not be limited to:

(1) Researching systems that would address the requirements of a 3-1-1 system;

(2) Financial analysis of the costs to design, develop, and implement such a 3-1-1 system, and also a financial analysis showing ongoing costs, such as maintenance and operating expenses;

(3) Recommendations for an optimum schedule (hours of operation) for the 3-1-1 system;

(4) Summary of expected benefits and possibly a return on investment;

(5) Recommend approaches (turnkey vs. wholly owned, or a hybrid) with pros and cons for each, and if applicable, best practices of other 3-1-1 systems; and

(6) Investigate additional funding sources to offset the cost of the 3-1-1 system; and

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the state of Hawaii the sum of $2,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007 for a grant-in-aid to the city and county of Honolulu for the development of a 3-1-1 non-emergency reporting system, including a study to develop a request for proposal for the system.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the city and county of Honolulu for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. Limitation of liability. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, in no event shall any wireless provider, reseller, or their respective employees, directors, officers, assigns, affiliates, or agents, except in cases of gross negligence or wanton and wilful misconduct, be liable for any civil damages or criminal liability resulting from death or injury to a person or from damage to property incurred by any person in connection with any act or omission in developing, designing, adopting, establishing, installing, participating in, implementing, maintaining, or providing access to 3-1-1 service as defined by the federal communications commission.

In addition, no wireless provider, reseller, or their respective employees, directors, officers, assigns, affiliates, or agents shall be liable for civil damages or criminal liability in connection with the release of customer information to any governmental entity, including any public safety answering point, as required by this Act.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2020.