The surcharge applied to pre-paid telecommunication services and wireless telephones in Pennsylvania, the E-911 charge, has not been increased since 2015.

At that time, the charge was raised from $1 to $1.65. The adjustment provided for approximately $316 million in state funding that, among other things, covered more than 90 percent of costs for 911 service statewide.

Since that time, the cost to fund 911 services across the commonwealth has ballooned to more than $400 million while revenue from the surcharge has flatlined at approximately the same level as in 2015. The situation has left counties responsible for covering an increased portion of the cost for 911 services, approximately 25 percent. The county portion of costs is garnered through property tax revenues.

Meanwhile, current statutes governing the surcharge and the formula used to distribute funds to the state’s 67 counties are set to sunset Jan 31, 2024. If that were to occur, state funds for 911 service would evaporate, leaving counties to fund the system themselves.

In the wake of this, Gov. Josh Shapiro called on the state General Assembly to pass legislation increasing the surcharge to $1.97 and include an automatic annual increase in fee to keep up with inflation. The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania went a step further, calling for an increase to $2.30 with a 15 cent annual increase.

A bill in the state House of Representatives, HB 1304, that would have increased the fee to $1.97 passed with bipartisan support in a 121-82 vote. The bill was then amended in the state Senate committee to exclude language specifying an increase and instead call for a legislative study of system efficiency.