Montana Code Annotated
Part 1. Emergency Telephone System Plans
10-4-107. Department duties and powers -- 9-1-1 planning

10-4-107. 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) establish 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.
History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 367, L. 2017; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 172, L. 2019; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 14, L. 2021.