Montana § 10-4-107 - Department Duties And Powers -- 9-1-1 Planning

§ 10-4-107. Department Duties And Powers -- 9-1-1 Planning

Department duties and powers -- 9-1-1 planning. (1) There is a 9-1-1 program administered by the department. (2) The department shall: (a) allocate and distribute 9-1-1 fees; (b) update the allocation and distribution of 9-1-1 fees in accordance with 10-4-305 and rules adopted pursuant to 10-4-108 ; (c) provide grants in accordance with 10-4-306 . In awarding the grants, the department shall review and approve requests for funding in accordance with 10-4-306 . (d) monitor the expenditure of program funds for: (i) 9-1-1 purposes by local and tribal governments that host public safety answering points; and (ii) allowable uses of grant funds by entities; (e) maintain a statewide 9-1-1 plan in accordance with subsection (3); (f) staff and fund the administrative costs of the 9-1-1 advisory council established in 10-4-105 ; (g) accept federal funds granted by congress or by executive order and gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of administering this chapter; and (h) establish allowable uses of funds by local and tribal governments that host public safety answering points that receive distributions pursuant to 10-4-305 and ensure that funds are expended only for allowable uses. (3) A statewide 9-1-1 plan must include: (a) to the maximum extent feasible the use of existing commercial communications infrastructure; and (b) 9-1-1 system standards and support efforts to migrate legacy technologies to next-generation 9-1-1 technologies when appropriate and to provide for the implementation of future 9-1-1 technologies. Any standards adopted by the department for legacy 9-1-1 technologies or principles adopted for baseline next-generation 9-1-1 technologies must be: (i) flexible and graduated, while ensuring minimum service levels; and (ii) based on industry standards. (4) The department, in fulfilling its duties pursuant to subsection (2), may request necessary information from local and tribal governments. If a local or tribal government does not comply with the request, the department may withhold funding distributions as provided for in 10-4-109 .