HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania’s county 911 systems soon could face a funding shortfall because the state’s current uniform 911 surcharge of $1.95 is set to expire in January.
A state lawmaker wants to prevent that from happening.
Under current Pennsylvania law, the surcharge will disappear on Jan. 31. But state Rep. Brenda Pugh, a Luzerne County Republican, plans to introduce legislation that would extend the expiration deadline for several years.
“The urgency of maintaining the uniform statewide surcharge as a funding source to sustain the statewide 911 communication system is very crucial,” Pugh wrote in a memo to colleagues.
“This will be achieved through my legislation which will change the January 31st, 2026 expiration date to January 31st, 2029 to give our counties, the statewide 911 advisory board, and our 911 community more time to develop a thorough and adequate response to the issue of sustainable 911 funding.”
According to Pugh, in 2022, the total reported expenditures for statewide 911 was $421 million, while the surcharge collected amount collected was $323 million. Pennsylvania’s 67 counties contributed a total of $89.5 million.
In 2024, the total reported expenditures reported statewide for 911 was $455 million and the surcharge collected was $375 million, resulting in counties contributing a collective $80 million.