Senators Want to Designate April as National 9-1-1 Education Month

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Richard Burr (R-NC), co-chairs of the Next Generation 911 Caucus, introduced a resolution designating April 2019 as “National 9–1–1 Education Month.”  The resolution also urges governmental officials, parents, teachers, school administrators, caregivers, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and the people of the United States to observe the month with appropriate ceremonies, training events, and activities. Among other things, the resolution suggests programs to promote proper use of 9–1–1 could include  (1) public awareness events, including conferences, media outreach, and training activities for parents, teachers, school administrators, other caregivers, and businesses;  (2) educational events in schools and other appropriate venues; and (3) production and distribution of information about the 9–1–1 system designed to educate people of all ages on the importance and proper use of 9–1–1.

“As a former prosecutor and co-chair of the NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus with my colleague Senator Burr, I know how important it is for our communities to understand how law enforcement officers and public safety leaders operate during times of crisis, and for people to trust that their 9-1-1 calls will reach the appropriate first responders quickly,” Klobuchar said. “Recognizing April as National 9-1-1 Education Month raises awareness about the importance of 9-1-1 services and recognizes the leaders who work to keep our communities safe.”

“Our nation’s 9-1-1 system has connected communities with their public safety officials for more than 40 years,” Burr said. “To help first responders do their jobs as effectively as possible, schools, local government officials, and businesses should understand how the system works and how it is being modernized. As the co-chair of the Next Generation 911 Caucus, I am proud to re-introduce this resolution with my colleague, Senator Klobuchar, which will increase awareness by designating April as the National 9-1-1 Education Month.”

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The Regulatory Mix Today:  Senators Introduce Resolution Designating April as National 9-1-1 Education Month, US House Hearing On Save the Internet Act, FCC Releases 4Q2018 Inflation Adjustment for Cable Operators

US House Hearing On Save the Internet Act

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) announced that the Committee will hold a full-Committee markup on Wednesday, April 3, at 9:30 am to markup several pieces of legislation, including legislation to restore critical net neutrality protections. 

Specifically, the Committee will consider the H.R. 1644, the "Save the Internet Act," introduced by Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA), which would enact the three legacy net neutrality principles – no blocking, no throttling and no paid prioritization – and empower the FCC to prohibit unjust, unreasonable and discriminatory practices.  The legislation would also ensure consumers can make informed decisions when shopping for internet plans and restore the FCC’s authority to fund broadband access and deployment, particularly for rural communities and struggling Americans.

FCC Releases 4Q2018 Inflation Adjustment for Cable Operators

The FCC announced the most recent inflation adjustment factors for cable operators.  For operators filing quarterly using FCC Form 1240, the 4Q18 inflation factor is 1.68%.  Operators calculating the Inflation Factor for a True-Up Period that includes some portion of the 4Q18 should enter the inflation factor on the appropriate lines of Worksheet 1 of FCC Form 1240 as “0.0168.” Operators using this factor for calculating the Projected Period Inflation Segment of FCC Form 1240 should enter this number on Line C3 (January 1996 version), or Line C5 (July 1996 version) as “1.0168.”

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.