States diverted nearly 10 percent of $2.9 billion in 911 fee revenue for unrelated purposes in 2017, the FCC reported Wednesday. For the first time, every jurisdiction responded for this year’s report, so some exact comparisons may not be possible. The FCC flagged Montana, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Rhode Island, West Virginia and the U.S. Virgin Islands as responsible for the $285 million in diverted revenue.

Maine rolled out text-to-911 service to all public safety answering points, the Public Utilities Commission said Friday. The service runs on Maine’s next-generation 911 network and “could be a life-saver, especially for people who might otherwise not be able to make a voice call,” said Chairman Mark Vannoy. Texting 911 should be used only when calling isn’t an option because voice provides location automatically and is generally more efficient for getting help, the PUC said.

The FCC pledged more work on 911 systems next year. The Public Safety Bureau is finalizing its latest report on state 911 fees, including which states divert funds, to submit to Congress by year-end and release it online in early 2019, Chief Lisa Fowlkes blogged Tuesday. The bureau is “hard at work” to improve 911 calling from multiline telephone systems by the September statutory deadline, and is studying the record on wireless 911 location, she said. Expect commission action in 2019, she said. It’s also reviewing feedback on how to route wireless 911 calls more quickly, but Fowlkes gave no date for action. Commenters backed the thrust of FCC proposals to improve MLTS 911 calling, while industry voiced concerns about possible "dispatchable location" rules (see 1812110025).

A potential fight is brewing over whether 211, 611, 911 or an all-new three-digit number should be designated for a National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Each has backers and detractors, in docket 18-336 comments posted Tuesday. Comments were due as the FCC looks at implementation of August's National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act (see 1808140037).

Parties backed an FCC effort to improve 911 calling and location accuracy, noting technical challenges. There was broad support for proposals to implement Kari's Law requirements requiring 911 direct dialing from multiline telephone systems (MLTS) in larger enterprises. Industry resisted some potential regulations, particularly on a Ray Baum's Act (see 1812110052) mandate to consider requiring "dispatchable location" information is conveyed with calls to responders. Telecom and VoIP providers, equipment makers, public safety entities, enterprise groups and others filed over 30 comments in docket 18-261 through Tuesday on an NPRM (see 1809260047).

House Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., is focusing on consensus telecom issues in the waning weeks of the GOP's control of that chamber and emphasizing the need for bipartisanship on the committee ahead of the incoming Democratic majority. Walden confirmed to us the House Republican Steering Committee formally recommended Thursday he be retained as the party's House Commerce leader in the 116th Congress, as expected (see 1811020048), becoming ranking member. Current committee ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Mike Doyle, D-Pa., are considered near certain to take over (see 1811070054).

“Naming-and-shaming hasn't eradicated the problem of [911] fee diversion,” FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly blogged Thursday. The pending House bill to empower the commission to say what is diversion is an “important step,” he said. “A more comprehensive bill may be needed to deal with recalcitrant states committed to diversion.” There has been no progress by Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Guam, but success with some others flagged in the FCC’s 911 fees report, O’Rielly said. Illinois, Oklahoma and the Northern Mariana Islands “remedied filing errors to clarify that they are not diverters,” and West Virginia and Puerto Rico “are in the process of ending diversion,” and New Mexico ended it, he said. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) Wednesday promised a 2019 bill to stop the practice (see 1811280037).

A 2019 state bill will end West Virginia diversion of 911 fee revenue, Gov. Jim Justice (R) promised FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly. “When I became aware that we were ineligible for certain federal funds due to being designated a ‘diverter’ state, I immediately directed my staff to remedy any problems.” A statutory change is required, so Justice plans a bill in the legislative session that starts January that would ensure all the 911 fee revenue goes to local public safety answering points. That’s “very encouraging,” O’Rielly responded later Wednesday. “West Virginia may be reported as diverting fees in this year’s report," but this legislation's passage “should guarantee that this is the last time the state will appear as a diverter and that these funds are put to their intended purpose.” O'Rielly tweeted condemnation for the "Dirty Half Dozen" others that still divert: Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Guam. "Much more work to do as some are really committed to stealing consumer-paid fees for other spending at expense of public safety!" Earlier this week, O’Rielly slammed diverter Guam over inability to record 911 calls (see 1811270016).

FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly blamed 911 fee diversion for Guam’s reported inability to record 911 calls. “Guam's consumers pay the fees & rewarded with broken system,” O’Rielly tweeted Monday. “Diversion must end!” He added: “How is it possible that for almost three years the capabilities of Guam's 9-1-1 system were compromised -- no recording ability -- but leadership wasn't informed or didn't know? Guam's government needs to stop stealing consumer paid fees & modernize its system.” The U.S. territory didn’t comment. O'Rielly this summer said Guam was playing politics on the issue (see 1807090052). A Tuesday editorial in the Guam Daily Post, which first reported the 911 recording problem, condemned the territory's fee diversion and urged incoming Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero (D) to prioritize the issue.

A surge in FCC ex parte meetings about access to national outage data in the network outage reporting system (NORS) and disaster information reporting system (DIRS) may foreshadow commission action in the near future, said parties to docket 15-80. States and others seek access, but the telecom industry is raising confidentiality concerns (see 1811060036). Multiple stakeholders that have talked with the FCC said the bureau is asking for input and meetings, but it's not clear what, if anything, Chairman Ajit Pai wants to do on the issue or when. The impetus for those meetings isn't clear, we were told.