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HRS §138-5

Who can get money from the 911 fund

This section says who can get money from the 911 fund and for what. 911 centers can get money for equipment, training, and committee representatives. Phone companies can get reimbursed for certain 911 costs, but not more than they actually spent. The fund is split: two-thirds to 911 centers, one-third to phone companies.

everyone

The statute, as written — Disbursements from the fund

(a) Every public safety answering point shall be eligible to seek disbursements from the fund to pay for the reasonable costs to lease, purchase, or maintain all necessary equipment, including computer hardware, software, and database provisioning, required by the public safety answering point to provide technical functionality for the 911 service. Reasonable costs may include expenses directly associated with the planning phases and training of personnel in any new and emerging technologies involving 911 services. All other expenses necessary to operate the public safety answering point, including but not limited to those expenses related to overhead, staffing, and other day-to-day operational expenses, shall continue to be paid through the general funding of the respective counties. (b) Every public safety answering point shall be eligible to seek disbursements from the fund to pay for the reasonable costs associated with having representatives, other than board members, on board committees, including established and investigative committees. (c) Each communications service provider may request reimbursement from the fund of 911 service costs incurred; provided that the costs: (1) Are recoverable under section 138-4(d); and (2) Have not already been reimbursed to the communications service provider from the fund. In no event shall a communications service provider be reimbursed for any amount above its actual 911 service costs allowed to be recovered under section 138-4(d). (d) Every communications service provider may seek disbursements from the fund to pay for the reasonable costs associated with having representatives, other than board members, on board committees, including established and investigative committees. (e) After the expenses of the board are paid, the public safety answering points shall be allocated two-thirds of the remaining balance of the fund. The remaining one-third shall be available for communications service provider cost recovery. The board shall determine the reimbursement amounts for the public safety answering points, based on the limitations set forth in section 138-5(a). The reimbursement level for each communications service provider shall be limited: (1) To one-third of the total contribution made by the individual communications service provider into the fund; provided that this method of direct reimbursement shall not be available to the provider of wire line 911; and (2) As provided in subsection (c).
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

Sections this one refers to

§138-4 Monthly 911 surcharge on phone and internet connections

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.