US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

      (a)      Each subscriber to switched local exchange access service or CMRS or other 9-1-1-accessible service shall pay a 9-1-1 fee.

      (b)      The 9-1-1 fee is 25 cents per month, payable when the bill for the telephone service or CMRS or other 9-1-1-accessible service is due.

      (c)      (1)      The Public Service Commission shall direct each telephone company to add the 9-1-1 fee to all current bills rendered for switched local exchange access service in the State.

            (2)      Each telephone company:

                  (i)      shall act as a collection agent for the 9-1-1 Trust Fund with respect to the 9-1-1 fees;

                  (ii)      shall remit all money collected to the Comptroller on a monthly basis; and

                  (iii)      is entitled to credit, against the money from the 9-1-1 fees to be remitted to the Comptroller, an amount equal to 0.75% of the 9-1-1 fees to cover the expenses of billing, collecting, and remitting the 9-1-1 fees and any additional charges.

            (3)      The Comptroller shall deposit the money remitted in the 9-1-1 Trust Fund.

      (d)      (1)      Each 9-1-1 service carrier shall add the 9-1-1 fee to all current bills rendered for CMRS or other 9-1-1-accessible service in the State.

            (2)      Each 9-1-1 service carrier:

                  (i)      shall act as a collection agent for the 9-1-1 Trust Fund with respect to the 9-1-1 fees;

                  (ii)      shall remit all money collected to the Comptroller on a monthly basis; and

                  (iii)      is entitled to credit, against the money from the 9-1-1 fees to be remitted to the Comptroller, an amount equal to 0.75% of the 9-1-1 fees to cover the expenses of billing, collecting, and remitting the 9-1-1 fees and any additional charges.

            (3)      The Comptroller shall deposit the money remitted in the 9-1-1 Trust Fund.

            (4)      The Board shall adopt procedures for auditing surcharge collection and remittance by CMRS providers.

            (5)      On request of a CMRS provider, and except as otherwise required by law, the information that the CMRS provider reports to the Board shall be confidential, privileged, and proprietary and may not be disclosed to any person other than the CMRS provider.

      (e)      Notwithstanding any other provision of this subtitle, the 9-1-1 fee does not apply to an intermediate service line used exclusively to connect a CMRS or other 9-1-1-accessible service, other than a switched local access service, to another telephone system or switching device.

      (f)      A CMRS provider that pays or collects 9-1-1 fees under this section has the same immunity from liability for transmission failures as that approved by the Public Service Commission for local exchange telephone companies that are subject to regulation by the Commission under the Public Utility Companies Article.