A new entrant into the legislature’s efforts to address reauthorization of Pennsylvania’s 911 statute appeared this week in the form of House Bill 1854. Prime sponsored by Representative Jared Solomon (who also happens to be the Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee), the bill, among other things, increases the 911 surcharge from $1.65 to $1.97 and extends the sunset date to January 31, 2029. In the Senate this week, House Bill 1304 was amended in committee to strip out surcharge increase language, move the current sunset date of January 31, 2024, to September 30, 2025, and require a study of 911 by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, the Joint State Government Commission and the Local Government Commission which is due to the legislature by November 30, 2024. The amended bill provides for eight topics which must be addressed by the study including efficiencies to be gained in the current 911 system, reviewing operations in other states and what their per capita 911 costs are, and options for consolidation of county 911 systems. Stay tuned.