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Bill Summary · SF 271

Summary of Bill SF 271

Overview

  • Bill Number: SF 271
  • Title: A bill for an act relating to voting membership on joint 911 service boards
  • Sponsor: KLIMESH (primary)
  • Status: Subcommittee (Klimesh, Sires, Wahls)
  • Introduced: February 11, 2025
  • Current Legislative Actions:
    • Introduced and referred to Local Government (2025-02-11)
    • Subcommittee meeting on 2025-02-18 (Klimesh, Sires, Wahls)

Purpose and intent

SF 271 would modify eligibility for voting on joint 911 service boards by tying voting rights to the physical location of the political subdivision within the county. The aim appears to ensure that only subdivisions that are both served by a public safety agency and physically located inside the county can vote on the joint 911 service board.

Key provisions

  • A political subdivision of the state that has a public safety agency serving territory within a county is eligible for voting membership on the county’s joint 911 service board only if that subdivision is located within the county.
  • If the subdivision meets the first condition (has a public safety agency serving territory within the county) but is not located within the county, it would be entitled only to nonvoting membership on the joint 911 service board.
  • Subdivisions meeting the location criterion (and having a public safety agency serving within the county) would gain voting membership; those not meeting the location criterion would retain nonvoting status.

What would be affected

  • Entities: Political subdivisions (cities, towns, or other subdivisions with public safety agencies) that operate within the state and have public safety services within a county.
  • Boards: Joint 911 service boards governing emergency communications and related services at the county level.
  • Governance dynamics: Voting representation on the joint 911 service board would be limited to subdivisions physically located within the respective county, potentially changing voting influence for subdivisions that are not located in the county but contract with county services.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • The bill was introduced on February 11, 2025 and referred to the Local Government committee.
  • A subcommittee was scheduled (and held) on February 18, 2025, with members Klimesh, Sires, and Wahls handling the bill.

Potential implications and considerations

  • Representation: May alter the balance of influence on joint 911 boards, particularly affecting subdivisions that have public safety agencies serving county territory but are physically located outside the county.
  • Operational impact: Could impact decision-making on emergency communications, funding allocations, and policy direction by shifting voting power to in-county subdivisions.
  • Intergovernmental relations: Could raise considerations for cross-jurisdictional coordination and the treatment of out-of-county agencies that serve in-county areas.
  • Implementation questions: How “located within the county” is determined for subdivisions with shared services or cross-border arrangements; potential transitional provisions if a subdivision’s jurisdiction boundaries or service arrangements change.

Summary

SF 271 sets a location-based criterion for voting on joint 911 service boards, granting voting membership only to political subdivisions that are both served by a public safety agency within the county and physically located within the county. Subdivisions meeting the first condition but not the location condition would have nonvoting status. The bill is currently in subcommittee with primary sponsor KLIMESH.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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