1. (a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.
2. (b) “Board” means the Maryland 9-1-1 Board.

3. (c) “Commercial mobile radio service” or “CMRS” means mobile telecommunications service that is:

   1. (1) provided for profit with the intent of receiving compensation or monetary gain;
   2. (2) an interconnected, two-way voice service; and
   3. (3) available to the public.
4. (d) “Commercial mobile radio service provider” or “CMRS provider” means a person authorized by the Federal Communications Commission to provide CMRS in the State.
5. (e) “County 9-1-1 fee” means the fee imposed by a county in accordance with § 1-311 of this subtitle.
6. (f) “County plan” means a plan for a 9-1-1 system or enhanced 9-1-1 system, or an amendment to the plan, developed by a county or several counties together under this subtitle.

7. (g)

   1. (1) “Customer” means:

      1. (i) the person that contracts with a home service provider for CMRS; or
      2. (ii) the end user of the CMRS if the end user of the CMRS is not the contracting party.

   2. (2) “Customer” does not include:

      1. (i) a reseller of CMRS; or
      2. (ii) a serving carrier under an arrangement to serve the customer outside the home service provider's licensed service area.

8. (h) “Enhanced 9-1-1 system” means a 9-1-1 system that provides:

   1. (1) automatic number identification;
   2. (2) automatic location identification; and
   3. (3) any other technological advancements that the Board requires.
9. (i) “FCC order” means an order issued by the Federal Communications Commission under proceedings regarding the compatibility of enhanced 9-1-1 systems and delivery of wireless enhanced 9-1-1 service.

10. (j)

    1. (1) “First responder” means an employee of a State or local public safety agency that provides emergency response services.

    2. (2) “First responder” includes:

       1. (i) a firefighter;
       2. (ii) a paramedic;
       3. (iii) an emergency medical technician;
       4. (iv) a rescue squad member;
       5. (v) a sworn member of the Office of the State Fire Marshal;
       6. (vi) a member of a volunteer fire or rescue company who is a covered employee under § 9-234 of the Labor and Employment Article;
       7. (vii) an individual who is licensed or certified under § 13-516 of the Education Article; and
       8. (viii) a 9-1-1 specialist.
11. (k) “Home service provider” means the facilities-based carrier or reseller that contracts with a customer to provide CMRS.

12. (l) “Next Generation 9-1-1 services” means an Internet Protocol (IP)-based system, comprised of hardware, software, data, and operational policies and procedures, that:

    1. (1) provides standardized interfaces from emergency call and message services to support emergency communications;
    2. (2) processes all types of requests for emergency services, including voice, text, data, and multimedia information;
    3. (3) acquires and integrates additional emergency call data useful to routing and handling of requests for emergency services;
    4. (4) delivers the emergency calls, messages, and data to the appropriate public safety answering point and other appropriate emergency entities;
    5. (5) supports data or video communications needs for coordinated incident response and management; and
    6. (6) provides broadband service to public safety answering points or other first responder entities.
13. (m) “9-1-1-accessible service” means telephone service or another communications service that connects an individual dialing the digits 9-1-1 to an established public safety answering point.

14. (n)

    1. (1) “9-1-1 service carrier” means a provider of CMRS or other 9-1-1-accessible service.
    2. (2) “9-1-1 service carrier” does not include a telephone company.

15. (o) “9-1-1 specialist” means an employee of a county public safety answering point, or an employee working in a county public safety answering point, whose duties and responsibilities include:

    1. (1) receiving and processing 9-1-1 requests for emergency services;
    2. (2) other support functions directly related to 9-1-1 requests for emergency services; or
    3. (3) dispatching law enforcement officers, fire rescue services, emergency medical services, and other public safety services to the scene of an emergency.

16. (p)

    1. (1) “9-1-1 system” means telephone service that:

       1. (i) meets the planning guidelines established under this subtitle; and
       2. (ii) automatically connects an individual dialing the digits 9-1-1 to an established public safety answering point.

    2. (2) “9-1-1 system” includes:

       1. (i) equipment for connecting and outswitching 9-1-1 calls within a telephone central office;
       2. (ii) trunking facilities from a telephone central office to a public safety answering point; and
       3. (iii) equipment to connect 9-1-1 calls to the appropriate public safety agency.
17. (q) “9-1-1 Trust Fund” means the fund established under § 1-308 of this subtitle.
18. (r) “Prepaid wireless E 9-1-1 fee” means the fee that is required to be collected by a seller from a consumer in the amount established under § 1-313 of this subtitle.

19. (s) “Prepaid wireless telecommunications service” means a commercial mobile radio service that:

    1. (1) allows a consumer to dial 9-1-1 to access the 9-1-1 system;
    2. (2) must be paid for in advance; and
    3. (3) is sold in predetermined units that decline with use in a known amount.

20. (t) “Public safety agency” means:

    1. (1) a functional division of a public agency that provides fire fighting, police, medical, or other emergency services; or
    2. (2) a private entity that provides fire fighting, police, medical, or other emergency services on a voluntary basis.

21. (u) “Public safety answering point” means a communications facility that:

    1. (1) is operated on a 24-hour basis;
    2. (2) first receives 9-1-1 requests for emergency services in a 9-1-1 service area; and

    3. (3) as appropriate:

       1. (i) dispatches public safety services directly;
       2. (ii) transmits incident data to appropriate public safety agencies within the State for the dispatch of public safety services; or

       3. (iii) transfers 9-1-1 requests for emergency services or transmits incident data to:

          1. 1. an appropriate federal emergency communication center responsible for the delivery of public safety services on a federal campus or federal reservation; or
          2. 2. an appropriate public safety answering point located within or outside the State.
22. (v) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Emergency Management.
23. (w) “Seller” means a person that sells prepaid wireless telecommunications service to another person.
24. (x) “State 9-1-1 fee” means the fee imposed in accordance with § 1-310 of this subtitle.
25. (y) “Wireless enhanced 9-1-1 service” means enhanced 9-1-1 service under an FCC order.

Added by Acts 2003, c. 5, § 2, eff. Oct. 1, 2003. Amended by Acts 2003, c. 451, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2003; Acts 2012, c. 425, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2012; Acts 2013, c. 313, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2013; Acts 2019, c. 301, § 1, eff. July 1, 2019; Acts 2019, c. 302, § 1, eff. July 1, 2019; Acts 2020, c. 375, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2020; Acts 2020, c. 376, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2020; Acts 2021, c. 287, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2021; Acts 2021, c. 288, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2021; Acts 2021, c. 378, § 1, eff. June 1, 2021; Acts 2021, c. 379, § 1, eff. June 1, 2021; Acts 2022, c. 349, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2022; Acts 2024, c. 293, § 1, eff. July 1, 2024.