LEGISLATIVE ISSUES

The following are pending legislative bills in the State Legislature(s) that have a direct effect on Public Safety Telecommunicators. They are presented here in summary form:


 OREGON HB 2526

Sponsored by Representative CORCORAN (at the request of Barry Howarth)

SUMMARY

The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's brief statement of the essential features of the measure as introduced.

Classifies certified telecommunicators and emergency medical dispatchers as police officers for purposes of benefits under Public Employes' Retirement System. Applies only to service rendered on or after effective date of Act.

A BILL FOR AN ACT Relating to public employee retirement; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 238.005. Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon: SECTION 1. ORS 238.005 is amended to read: 238.005. For purposes of this chapter:

(1) The term 'annuity' means payments for life derived from contributions made by a member as provided in this chapter.

(2) The term 'calendar year' means 12 calendar months commencing on January 1 and ending on December 31 following.

(3) The term 'continuous service' means service not interrupted for more than five years, except that such continuous service shall be computed without regard to interruptions in the case of:

(4) The term 'creditable service' means any period of time during which an active member is being paid a salary by a participating public employer and contributions are being made to the system either by or on behalf of the member. For purposes of computing years of 'creditable service,' full months and major fractions of a month shall be considered to be one-twelfth of a year and shall be added to all full years. 'Creditable service ' includes all retirement credit received by a member.

(5) The term 'employee' includes, in addition to employees, public officers, but does not include:

(6) The term 'fiscal year' means 12 calendar months commencing on July 1 and ending on June 30 following.

(7)

(8) The term 'pension' means annual payments for life derived from contributions by one or more public employers.

(9) The term 'public employer' means the state, one of its agencies, any city, county, municipal or public corporation, any political subdivision of the state or any instrumentality thereof, or an agency created by two or more such political subdivisions to provide themselves governmental services. For purposes of this chapter, such agency created by two or more political subdivisions is a governmental instrumentality and a legal entity with power to enter into contracts, hold property and sue and be sued.

(10) The term 'retirement credit' means a period of time that is treated as creditable service for the purposes of this chapter.

(11)

(12) The term 'volunteer firefighter' means a firefighter whose position normally requires less than 600 hours of service per year.

(13) The term 'school year' means the period beginning July 1 and ending June 30 next following.

(14) The term 'police officer' includes:

(15) The term 'final average salary' means whichever of the following is greater:

(16) The term 'firefighter' does not include a volunteer firefighter as defined in subsection (12) of this section, but does include the State Fire Marshal, the chief deputy fire marshal and deputy state fire marshals.

(17) 'Earliest service retirement age' means the age attained by a member when the member could first make application for retirement under the provisions of ORS 238.280.

(18) The term 'normal retirement age' means:


 OREGON HB 2915 

Sponsored by COMMITTEE ON GENERAL GOVERNMENT (at the request of Oregon AFSCME)

SUMMARY

The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's brief statement of the essential features of the measure as introduced.

Classifies certified telecommunicators as police officers for purposes of benefits under Public Employes' Retirement System. Applies only to service rendered on or after effective date of Act.

A BILL FOR AN ACT Relating to public employee retirement; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 238.005. Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon: SECTION 1. ORS 238.005 is amended to read: 238.005. For purposes of this chapter:

(1) The term 'annuity' means payments for life derived from contributions made by a member as provided in this chapter.

(2) The term 'calendar year' means 12 calendar months commencing on January 1 and ending on December 31 following.

(3) The term 'continuous service' means service not interrupted for more than five years, except that such continuous service shall be computed without regard to interruptions in the case of:

(4) The term 'creditable service' means any period of time during which an active member is being paid a salary by a participating public employer and contributions are being made to the system either by or on behalf of the member. For purposes of computing years of 'creditable service,' full months and major fractions of a month shall be considered to be one-twelfth of a year and shall be added to all full years. 'Creditable service ' includes all retirement credit received by a member.

(5) The term 'employee' includes, in addition to employees, public officers, but does not include:

(6) The term 'fiscal year' means 12 calendar months commencing on July 1 and ending on June 30 following.

(7)

(9) The term 'public employer' means the state, one of its agencies, any city, county, municipal or public corporation, any political subdivision of the state or any instrumentality thereof, or an agency created by two or more such political subdivisions to provide themselves governmental services. For purposes of this chapter, such agency created by two or more political subdivisions is a governmental instrumentality and a legal entity with power to enter into contracts, hold property and sue and be sued.

(10) The term 'retirement credit' means a period of time that is treated as creditable service for the purposes of this chapter.

(11)

(12) The term 'volunteer firefighter' means a firefighter whose position normally requires less than 600 hours of service per year.

(13) The term 'school year' means the period beginning July 1 and ending June 30 next following.

(14) The term 'police officer' includes:

(15) The term 'final average salary' means whichever of the following is greater:

(16) The term 'firefighter' does not include a volunteer firefighter as defined in subsection (12) of this section, but does include the State Fire Marshal, the chief deputy fire marshal and deputy state fire marshals.

(17) 'Earliest service retirement age' means the age attained by a member when the member could first make application for retirement under the provisions of ORS 238.280.

(18) The term 'normal retirement age' means:

SECTION 2. { + The amendments to ORS 238.005 by section 1 of this Act entitle an employee to creditable service in the Public Employes' Retirement System as a police officer only for service performed on or after the effective date of this Act. + } ----------


 RHODE ISLAND

CHAPTER 184

96-H 8293A am

Confidentiality: Restricting Public Access to 9-1-1 Voice Recordings and Data Base Information

CHAPTER 184

96-H 8293A am

Approved Aug. 5, 1996.

AN ACT RELATING TO 911 EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER ACT

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 39-21.1-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-21.1 entitled "911 Emergency Telephone Number Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:

39-21.1-4. Confidentiality. -- Automatic number identification and automatic location identification information that consists of the name, address, and telephone numbers of telephone subscribers whose listings are not published in directories or listed in directory assistance offices and that is provided to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) shall be confidential. {ADD Dissemination of the information contained in the 911 automatic number and automatic location data base is prohibited except for the following purposes: ADD}

{ADD (a) ADD} The information will be provided to the {ADD Public Safety Answering Point ADD} {ADD ( ADD} PSAP{ADD ) ADD} on a call-by-call basis only for the purpose of handling emergency calls, {ADD or for training ADD} and any permanent record of the information shall be secured by the public safety answering points and disposed of in a manner which will retain that security except as otherwise required by applicable law.

{ADD (b) All telephone calls and telephone call transmissions received pursuant to this chapter and all tapes containing records of telephone calls shall remain confidential and used only for the purpose of handling emergency calls and for public safety purposes as may be needed for law enforcement, fire, medical, rescue or other emergency services. Such calls shall not be released to any other parties without the written consent of the person whose voice is recorded, or upon order of the court. ADD}

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

 RHODE ISLAND

CHAPTER 180

96-S 2322 am

AN ACT RELATING TO 911 EMERGENCY TELEPHONE CALLS

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 39-21.1 of the General Laws entitled "911 Emergency Telephone Number Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

{ADD 39-21.1-17. Confidentiality of calls. -- ADD} {ADD All telephone calls and telephone call transmissions received pursuant to this chapter and all tapes containing records of telephone calls shall remain confidential and used only for the purpose of handling emergency calls and for public safety purposes as may be needed for law enforcement, fire, medical, rescue or other emergency services. Such calls shall not be released to any other parties without the written consent of the caller whose voice is recorded, or upon order of the court. ADD}

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.