Joint Resolution Increased E-911 Surcharge to $1.50 per Month

Fee Boosts Emergency Communications Fund by $25 Million

The Tennessee General Assembly recently passed a joint resolution that ratifies recommendations by the Emergency Communications Board to increase E-911 surcharges statewide to $1.50 per month.

According to the resolution, the Emergency Communications Board determined in 2019 that an increase from $1.16 to $1.50 was needed to compensate for “advances in technology and increased operational costs.”

“Immediate and long-term additional funding is required to sustain and enhance operations of emergency communications districts,” the resolution states.

According to the fiscal note attached to the resolution, the new surcharge will add more than $25 million annually to the state Emergency Communications fund.

Tennessee Broadband Association (TNBA) Executive Director Levoy Knowles says TNBA members have until Jan. 1, 2021, to adjust billing software to include the increased surcharge.

“For our members, it is a pass-through,” he says. “Customers will see this on their bill as an emergency communications tax.”

To read the complete resolution or to learn more about it, visit the Tennessee General Assembly site.