This week, APCO Board Member Jack Varnado and Chief Counsel Jeff Cohen joined NENA representatives and other state and local 9-1-1 and law enforcement officials to meet with House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, Senator Bill Cassidy, and staff for Senators John Kennedy and Ted Budd to discuss key legislative priorities for 9-1-1. The group sought support for federal legislation to fund NG9-1-1 nationwide, the 9-1-1 SAVES Act to appropriately categorize public safety telecommunications as a “protective service occupation,” and the PROTECT 9-1-1 Act to address the significant mental health challenges facing 9-1-1 professionals.
