Illinois § 5

§ 5.

Purpose. The General Assembly finds and declares that maintaining effective and efficient 9-1-1 systems across the State benefits all citizens. The fees imposed upon the consumers of telecommunication services that have the ability to dial 9-1-1 are an important funding mechanism to assist the State and units of local government with the deployment of enhanced 9-1-1 services to the citizens of this State. Prepaid wireless telecommunication services are an important segment of the telecommunications industry and have proven particularly attractive to low-income and low-volume consumers. Unlike traditional telecommunication services, prepaid wireless telecommunications services are not sold or used pursuant to term contracts or subscriptions and monthly bills are not sent to consumers by prepaid wireless telecommunication service providers or retail vendors. Prepaid wireless consumers have the same access to emergency 9-1-1 services from their wireless devices as wireless consumers on term contracts. Prepaid wireless consumers benefit from the ability to access the 9-1-1 system by dialing 9-1-1. Consumers purchase prepaid wireless telecommunication services at a wide variety of general retail locations and other distribution channels. Such purchases are made on a cash-and-carry or pay-as-you-go basis from retailers. It is the intent of the General Assembly to: (1) ensure equitable contributions to the funding of 9-1-1 systems from consumers of prepaid wireless telecommunication services; (2) collect 9-1-1 surcharges from purchasers of prepaid wireless telecommunications services at the point of sale; (3) impose the collection and remittance obligation for 9-1-1 surcharges on sellers of prepaid wireless telecommunications services; (4) impose a statewide administered 9-1-1 surcharge on point of sale transactions in order to minimize administrative costs on retailers. (Source: P.A. 97-463, eff. 1-1-12.)