An Indiana lawmaker is proposing a pilot program that would provide digital alerts to motorists in the state about the locations of emergency fire, medical and law enforcement vehicles. Under HB-1167, introduced Monday by Rep. Maureen Bauer (D), the Indiana Department of Homeland Security would create a grant program for emergency responders, while the state public safety secretary would have until Sept. 1 to come up with a plan to use available federal funds to pay for the pilot program. The bill was referred to the House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee.
A Missouri bill prefiled Monday would require telecommunications and cable TV operators in the state to remove abandoned lines and facilities in public rights of way within 180 days of their abandonment. HB-2687, introduced by state Rep. Bill Falkner (R), sets a fine of $500 per day for unremoved lines and facilities. The operator would also have to reimburse any costs incurred due to contact with the abandoned lines and facilities during other infrastructure projects.
California lawmakers are proposing to require that calls to 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline centers in the state be automatically routed to a LGBTQ+ suicide prevention specialist when the caller presses "3." Under AB-1540, introduced Monday, the state Office of Emergency Service would have until July 1, 2027, to ensure that technology is available to allow transfers of those calls between 988 centers and a subnetwork of LGBTQ+ specialized youth suicide prevention service providers. The state Health and Human Services Agency would have the same deadline for creating a Protecting Suicide Prevention Resources for LGBTQ+ Youth Fund grant program for entities that specialize in suicide prevention.
The California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) is urging the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to strengthen language about broadband infrastructure buildout in its proposed approval of Verizon's purchase of Frontier Communications. In a filing posted Monday, the digital divide nonprofit said CPUC Administrative Law Judge Elizabeth Fox's proposed approval of the deal (see 2512150008) includes ambiguous language about infrastructure buildout conditions.
Missouri state Sen. Mike Henderson (R) last week prefiled SB-1481, which would rework the state's prepaid wireless emergency telephone service charges. The charge, used to fund enhanced 911, is currently 3% of the retail transaction, with the first $15 exempt. The legislation would repeal that exemption and increase the service charge to 4% starting in 2027.
A bill introduced last week in the Wyoming Senate would require the state Transportation Department to conduct a study by Sept. 1, 2027, about transitioning to next-generation 911. SB-0032 would also direct DOT to provide grants to cover any shortfall in funding needed to operate the current 911 system.
The timing of the White House's AI executive order, which seeks to preempt state regulation of the technology (see 2512110068), targets AI laws that took effect Thursday, according to King & Spalding technology lawyers. They wrote this week that such state laws include California’s Transparency in Frontier AI Act and Texas’ Responsible AI Governance Act. Courts will have to determine if and how the order affects state AI laws, they added.
A Virginia bill prefiled Monday would require the chief judges of the state's general district courts, juvenile and domestic relations district courts, and circuit courts to set a policy about the use and possession of portable electronic devices in court. SB-83, which was introduced by state Sen. Saddam Salim (D) and referred to the Senate Courts of Justice Committee, would also require that the policy be conspicuously posted at the courthouse entrance and on court or local government websites.
NTIA’s reshaping of the BEAD program “illustrates how the Biden combination of spending and regulation created market distortions and raised costs,” said the Wall Street Journal editorial board in an op-ed Sunday. “It would be better if Congress let markets allocate capital, but the Trump Administration is ensuring taxpayer funds are spent in a more cost-effective way that does less economic harm.”
Internet censorship "is now a four-season sport in state legislatures," with few state lawmakers of either party being against it, wrote Eric Goldman, co-director of Santa Clara University's High Tech Law Institute, in a blog post Sunday. Many efforts revolve around requiring publishers to authenticate the ages of all readers, whether they're minors or not, and to restrict minors’ access to online content or resources, Goldman said.