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H 2576

An Act to establish a prepaid wireless E911 surcharge

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Mike Chaisson

Massachusetts bill would add an E911 surcharge to prepaid wireless services to fund emergency response infrastructure and equalize funding burden across wireless service types.

Accompanied a study order, see H5322 (under House Rule 27)
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Bill Summary · H 2576

Legislative bill overview

H 2576 proposes to establish a surcharge on prepaid wireless phone services in Massachusetts to fund emergency 911 services. The bill would create a new revenue stream dedicated to supporting E911 infrastructure and operations, similar to surcharges already applied to traditional landline and postpaid mobile services.

Why is this important

E911 services require ongoing funding for technology, personnel, and infrastructure to respond to emergencies. Currently, prepaid wireless users often avoid contributing to these systems despite benefiting from emergency services. Closing this funding gap ensures equitable cost-sharing and maintains adequate 911 service capacity as communication preferences shift toward prepaid options.

Potential points of contention

  • Consumer cost impact: Adding a surcharge to prepaid services may disproportionately affect lower-income users who rely on prepaid plans, potentially increasing the cost of essential communication access
  • Competitive fairness: Surcharges on prepaid services while postpaid services already pay similar fees raises questions about whether this creates pricing parity or unfair burden-shifting
  • Collection and administration: Implementation requires coordination with wireless carriers to collect surcharges, raising concerns about administrative complexity and whether costs are passed directly to consumers

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

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