ATLANTA - The House Study Committee on Funding for Next Generation 9-1-1, chaired by State Representative Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta), recently released its final report outlining a path forward to modernize Georgia's emergency communications system and ensure reliable 9-1-1 service for every community in the state. The study committee held public hearings across the state, conducted a comprehensive review of Georgia's current 9-1-1 funding structure and heard testimony from emergency responders, technology experts, local governments and national leaders in 9-1-1 modernization.

"Georgia's 9-1-1 system was designed for a different era," said Rep. Martin. "The way people communicate in emergencies has fundamentally changed, but our funding model has not. This report lays out a responsible, disciplined plan to address this situation, prioritizing the use of the 9-1-1 fee to modernize shared infrastructure to make Georgians safer."

The study committee found that Georgia's legacy 9-1-1 system is increasingly strained by declining landline usage, rising demand for wireless and data-based emergency services and growing reliance on local general funds to subsidize operations. The study committee found that today, 9-1-1 fees cover only about half of the cost of operating local emergency call centers statewide.

Among its key recommendations, the study committee calls for:

• Establishing a statewide 9-1-1 fee, in lieu of a local fee, that would be capped at the current level and depositing revenues into a constitutionally protected trust fund;
• Replacing outdated ZIP-code-based disbursement formulas with a readiness-and services-based funding model;
• Making early investments in statewide geographic information system (GIS) infrastructure critical to Next Generation 9-1-1; and
• Creating a legislative working group to guide implementation.

The study committee reports that Next Generation 9-1-1 will allow Georgians to contact emergency services using voice, text and data, while improving call routing accuracy, system resilience and interoperability across jurisdictions.

"This is about public safety, accountability and long-term sustainability," added Rep. Martin. "The committee's recommendations ensure that every dollar collected for 9-1-1 is used for 9-1-1 - and that Georgia is prepared for the future."

The full report has been submitted to House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) and will inform legislative discussions ahead of the 2026 session. The full report may be found here.

Representative Chuck Martin represents the citizens of District 49, which includes a portion of Fulton County. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2002 and currently serves as Chairman of the Higher Education Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education, Creative Arts & Entertainment, Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Regulated Industries, Retirement, Rules and Ways & Means committees.

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