Committee delays vote on Smart911 funding bill after data and mapping questions

Senate Insurance & Commerce committee members heard from the sponsor of House Bill 11‑56 and agency staff about Smart911 usage and implementation but deferred further committee action pending additional geographic data.

Senator Hammer distributed a handout and introduced Tina Owens of the Division of Emergency Management, who explained the handout summarized usage and operational questions the committee had raised earlier. "The number that was provided last time is the current number that our users on that system," Owens said when asked whether the statistic represented annual or cumulative users.

JP French, who identified himself as the state director for Smart911, told the committee that the system covered 82,235 constituents as of 03/18/2021. Members asked whether that figure represented annual users or total registrations; French confirmed it was the current number of registered profiles.

Senator Irvin and others requested a geographic map showing where profiles are registered to assess rural coverage. The sponsor agreed to request the map and circulate it to members ahead of Thursday's session. Senator Hammer proposed pulling the bill and returning Thursday after members had time to review the map and data.

No committee vote was taken on House Bill 11‑56 during this session; the record shows committee members pressed for additional information before considering a motion.