Next-gen 911 matching grant rules open for comment

By Colin Wood
Statescoop

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) took a small step toward providing states and localities new funding for next generation upgrades to the national 911 call center infrastructure.

A notice of proposed rulemaking was published Thursday for the 911 Grant Program — a $110 million federal matching grant program jointly run by the DOC, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and Department of Transportation (DOT). The rule proposal opens the grant's implementation regulations to public comment until early November and puts the federal government one step closer to providing new funding to a federated effort already underway in many states and localities.

“Today’s notice is an important step for the 911 Grant Program that will modernize antiquated 911 services across the country,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement Thursday. “Next Generation 911 will save lives by being faster and more reliable, and by better connecting first responders to key health and government services in the event of an emergency.”

Full story: Next-gen 911 matching grant rules open for comment