The powers and duties of the Oklahoma 9-1-1 Management Authority created in Section 3 of this act shall be to:

1. Approve or disapprove the selection of the Oklahoma 9-1-1 Coordinator by majority vote of the members. The Authority shall direct the Oklahoma 9-1-1 Coordinator to administer grants approved by the Authority pursuant to this section and perform other duties as it deems necessary to accomplish the requirements of the Oklahoma 9-1-1 Management Authority Act;

2. Prepare grant solicitations for funding for the purposes of assisting public agencies with funding for consolidation of facilities or services, deployment of Phase II technology or successor technology, development of next-generation 9-1-1 regional emergency service networks, and for other purposes it deems appropriate and necessary;

3. Work in conjunction with the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management to create an annual budget for the Authority, which shall be approved by majority vote of the members;

4. Direct the Oklahoma Tax Commission to escrow all or any portion of funds collected pursuant to the Oklahoma 9-1-1 Management Authority Act attributable to a public agency, if the public agency fails to:

a.submit or comply with master plans to deliver Phase II 9-1-1 wireless locating services as required by this act and approved by the Authority,

b.meet standards of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) limited to call-taking and caller-location technology or comply with an improvement plan to meet such standards as directed by the Authority,

c.submit annual reports or audits as required by this act, or

d.comply with the requirements of this act or procedures established by the Authority;

5. Establish and submit to the Tax Commission a list of eligible governing bodies entitled to receive 9-1-1 telephone fees and establish annual population figures for the purpose of distributing fees collected pursuant to Section 5 of this act, to be derived by dividing the population of each public agency's response area by the total population of the state using data from the latest available Federal Decennial Census estimates as of July 1 of each year;

6. Assist any public agency the Authority determines is performing below standards of the NENA, as limited by paragraph 4 of this section, according to the improvement plan required by the Oklahoma 9-1-1 Management Authority Act. The Authority shall establish a time period for the public agency to come into compliance after which the Authority shall escrow funds as authorized in this section. Improvement plans may include consideration and recommendations for consolidation with other public agencies, and sharing equipment and technology with other jurisdictions;

7. Require an annual report from public agencies regarding operations and financing of the public safety answering point (PSAP) and approve, modify or reject such reports;

8. Conduct and review audits and financial records of the wireless service providers and review public agencies' audits and financial records regarding the collection, remittance and expenditures of 9-1-1 wireless telephone fees as required by the Oklahoma 9-1-1 Management Authority Act;

9. Develop a plan to deploy next-generation 9-1-1 services statewide. The Authority may fund feasibility and implementation studies it deems necessary to create the plan;

10. Facilitate information-sharing among public agencies;

11. Create and maintain best practices databases for PSAP operations;

12. Encourage equipment- and technology-sharing among all jurisdictions;

13. Develop training program standards for 9-1-1 call takers;

14. Mediate disputes between public agencies and other entities involved in providing 9-1-1 emergency telephone services;

15. Provide a clearinghouse of contact information for communications service companies and PSAPs operating in this state;

16. Make recommendations for consolidation upon the request of public agencies; and

17. Take any steps necessary to carry out the duties required by the Oklahoma 9-1-1 Management Authority Act.

Added by Laws 2016, c. 324, § 4, eff. Nov. 1, 2016.