MACo Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally today submitted testimony in support of SB 631 – Public Safety – Statewide 3-1-1 Nonemergency Telephone System to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee This bill creates a statewide 3-1-1 telephone system to connect Marylanders to the government for non-emergency needs.

The bill’s sponsor and Chair of the Commission to Advance Next Generation 9-1-1 Across Maryland, Senator Cheryl Kagan, submitted amendments to create a workgroup to determine how to best deploy 3-1-1 across the state. MACo supports this effort to build consensus on the best path forward for this critical service.

From the MACo Testimony:

SB 631 requires the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) to establish and operate a statewide 3-1-1 system capable of notifying the appropriate state or local agencies, programs, and departments of requests for non-emergency information. Under the bill, MEMA will coordinate with local governments to develop the necessary framework to govern referral requests.

3-1-1 is a fast, simple, and convenient number for non-emergency issues and information on government services like refuse collection, snow removal, pothole repair, public transportation schedules, public hearings, and more. This service will make customer service more effective and more responsive, while also allowing 9-1-1 specialists to focus on emergency calls.

Follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2021 legislative session on MACo’s Legislative Tracking Database.