North Carolina HB 695: Support Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency Responders (VIPER)/Assist 911 Operations/Dispatch.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 695

Short Title: Support VIPER/Assist 911 Operations/Dispatch. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives B. Jones, Miller, Carson Smith, and Pyrtle (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Emergency Management and Disaster Recovery, if favorable, Rules, Calendar,
and Operations of the House
April 3, 2025
*H695-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO SUPPORT THE STATE'S VIPER PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO NETWORK IN 2
ORDER TO SUPPORT 911 OPERATIONS INTEROPERABILITY AND FIRST 3
RESPONDER DISPATCH THROUGHOUT THE STATE. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
6
ALLOCATE A PERCENTAGE OF 911 FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE STATE'S VIPER 7
RADIO SYSTEM INSOFAR AS THAT SYSTEM SUPPORTS 911 OPERATIONS IN 8
THE STATE 9
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 143B-1404(b) reads as rewritten: 10
"(b) Allocation of Revenues. – The 911 Board may deduct and retain for its administrative 11
expenses a percentage of the total service charges remitted to it under G.S. 143B-1403 for deposit 12
in the 911 Fund. The percentage may not exceed three and one-half percent (3.5%). The 13
percentage is one percent (1%) unless the 911 Board sets the percentage at a different amount. 14
The 911 Board must monitor the amount of funds required to meet its duties under this Part and 15
set the rate at an amount that enables the 911 Board to meet this commitment. The 911 Board 16
must allocate a minimum of fifteen percent (15%) of the total service charges to the Next 17
Generation 911 Reserve Fund to be administered as provided in G.S. 143B-1407. The 911 Board 18
must allocate a minimum of five percent (5%) of the total service charges to the PSAP Grant and 19
Statewide Projects Account to be administered as provided in G.S. 143B-1407. The 911 Board 20
must allocate a minimum of twenty percent (20%) of the total service charges to the State 21
Highway Patrol to be used for the support and maintenance of the State's Voice Interoperability 22
Plan for Emergency Responders (VIPER) system insofar as that system relates to the provision 23
of 911 services in the State, the provision for the interoperability of 911 systems with one another 24
and with public safety and first responder radio systems, and the dispatch of first responders in 25
response to 911 communications. The remaining revenues remitted to the 911 Board for deposit 26
in the 911 Fund are allocated for distribution to the primary PSAPs, CMRS providers, or the 27
Accounts established in G.S. 143B-1407." 28
SECTION 1.(b) This section becomes effective July 1, 2025, and applies to 911 29
Board allocations made on or after that date. 30
31
911 BOARD TO ADOPT TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT RULES 32
SECTION 2. The 911 Board shall adopt rules in accordance with this act and is 33
granted authority to adopt temporary rules to enact this act until permanent rules are adopted. 34

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 695-First Edition
1
GENERAL EFFECTIVE DATE 2
SECTION 3. Except as otherwise provided, this act becomes effective July 1, 2025. 3