State ballot question
Proposed Constitutional Amendment 3
Proposed Amendment
Authorizes creation of Georgia Next Generation 9-1-1 Fund for 9-1-1 systems expansion, maintenance, and operation.
House Resolution 1243
Ga. L. 2026, p. 1109
Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize the General Assembly to dedicate certain existing revenues, including revenues reallocated by law, to a nonlapsing fund to be used exclusively for the expansion, maintenance, and operation of emergency 9-1-1 systems in this state?
Choices: Yes / No
Recommendation – Vote No
Overview
Ballot Question No. 3 would authorize the General Assembly to create a Georgia Next Generation 9-1-1 Fund and dedicate specified revenues to it through additional legislation. Money deposited in the fund could be used only for expanding, maintaining, and operating 911 systems, including the transition to Next Generation 911. Unspent money would remain in the fund from year to year.
The goal is to modernize emergency communications. Enhanced 911 already provides a caller’s telephone number and location information. Next Generation 911, or NG911, uses an Internet Protocol network that can support text, photographs, video, better location-based routing, and information sharing between emergency communications centers. It can also help centers handle call overloads and outages. These capabilities offer practical benefits, although the features available locally would depend on the equipment, services, and training provided.
The proposed amendment does not itself increase the current $1.50 monthly telephone 911 fee. It also does not place a permanent $1.50 cap in the Constitution. Georgia has already established a technical framework for NG911 through HB 423, enacted in 2025. This proposed amendment addresses a protected funding mechanism.
What Happens Now
Telephone customers generally pay a $1.50 monthly 911 charge; prepaid wireless customers pay a fee at the point of sale. The Georgia Department of Revenue already collects and distributes these revenues. After authorized deductions, non-prepaid fees are distributed according to the customer’s jurisdiction, while prepaid fees are distributed to eligible local jurisdictions based on population.
Counties use the money to operate their 911 systems, including eligible salaries, benefits, training, facilities, and equipment. The House study committee reported that these fees cover about 55% of 911 centers’ budgets statewide. Salaries and benefits account for about 71% of expenditures paid from the fees. Local governments supplement the fee revenue with other funding.
Bleckley County’s 2024 financial statements report:
| Reported item | 2024 actual amount |
|---|---|
| E911 Fund revenue from charges for services | $213,513 |
| E911 Fund public-safety expenditures | $213,513 |
| Separate General Fund expenditures for the communications center and E911 | $355,597 |
The county therefore reports 911-related spending in both its fee fund and its General Fund. These figures establish a local funding baseline; they do not establish how much the county would lose or receive under a future statewide arrangement.
Issues
Any implication that counties are free to use 911 fees for unrelated purposes is misleading. Georgia law already requires local fee revenue to be kept in a restricted fund and limits eligible expenditures. Paying dispatchers and maintaining their facilities are legitimate costs of providing 911 service.
The state has its own history of using 911 revenues for other purposes. In 2011, Georgia Public Broadcasting reported that the state had diverted prepaid-phone fee revenue intended for rural 911 improvements to fill state budget holes. Protecting dedicated revenue is worthwhile, but local funds are already subject to restrictions.
The larger concern is that voters are being asked to authorize a new funding arrangement before its financial terms are settled. Additional legislation would have to determine:
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How much existing local fee revenue would be redirected to the statewide fund, and how much each county would receive back.
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Which network services, equipment, and new capabilities the state would provide, and which costs counties would continue to pay.
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Whether local salaries, benefits, and training would remain eligible for support, and how counties would cover any shortfall.
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Whether counties would receive transition assistance or protection against a reduction in funding.
The House study committee recommended replacing the locally imposed fee with a state-imposed fee and prioritizing services and equipment over salaries and benefits. If that approach is adopted, money now supporting county operations could be redirected. The proposed amendment does not guarantee that every county would receive equivalent replacement funding or savings.
That uncertainty matters in rural counties. A reduction that a metropolitan county could absorb might put substantial pressure on a smaller county with fewer resources. Bleckley County already commits General Fund money to its communications center and E911. If fee support falls without an adequate offset, the county could face higher demands on local taxes, cuts elsewhere, or reduced service.
Before voters are asked to approve this change, lawmakers should explain the distribution formula, the division of state and county responsibilities, and how local 911 operations would remain adequately funded. We do not yet have enough information about those commitments to vote Yes.
For these reasons, we recommend voting NO on Ballot Question No. 3.
References
Georgia General Assembly — HR 1243, as passed House and Senate
Georgia General Assembly — HB 423, as passed House and Senate, 2025
ACCG — NextGen 911 Resource Page
Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency — GECA FAQs
Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency — 911 Program
National 911 Program — Next Generation 911
O.C.G.A. § 46-5-134 — Emergency Telephone System Fund and use of funds
Bleckley County — 2024 Financial Statements, printed pages 36 and 45
Georgia Public Broadcasting — State Diverts Millions In Fees, October 11, 2011