Georgia Amendment 3: A Dedicated Fund for Next Generation 9-1-1

Q: What does Amendment 3 do?

A: It authorizes the General Assembly to create the Georgia Next Generation 9-1-1 Fund by law and to dedicate specific revenues to it. Money in the fund could be used only to expand, maintain and operate 9-1-1 systems across the state, including the transition to Next Generation 9-1-1.

Q: What exactly will the ballot say?

A: “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?”

Q: What is Next Generation 9-1-1?

A: Many 9-1-1 centers still run on technology built for landline voice calls. Next Generation 9-1-1 is a digital upgrade. It lets people reach 9-1-1 by voice, text and data, so dispatchers and first responders can receive photos or video before they arrive. It also makes it easier for 9-1-1 centers to share information and to locate callers more accurately.

Q: Why does this need a constitutional amendment?

A: Georgia’s constitution generally prohibits “earmarking,” meaning locking tax or fee revenue into one use. Normally, money flows into the state’s general budget, and lawmakers decide each year how to spend it. A fund that can only be used by 9-1-1 services requires constitutional permission, and Amendment 3 provides it. Any appropriation from the fund for another purpose would be void, and unspent money wouldn’t lapse back to the general budget at the end of the year.

Q: Does Amendment 3 create a new tax or fee?

A: No. The amendment itself doesn’t create a tax or fee, set a dollar amount, or name the revenue sources. It only allows the legislature to create the fund and decide by law which revenues go into it. The ballot language says those can include existing revenues reallocated by law. The current 9-1-1 charge on phone bills is $1.50 a month. Approving the amendment would not change it by itself.

Q: Who would benefit?

A: Anyone who calls 9-1-1, along with the dispatchers and first responders who answer. Supporters, including lead author Rep. Chuck Martin, say a dedicated statewide fund would pay for upgrades like texting 9-1-1 and even out service from county to county. Today, local governments run Georgia’s 9-1-1 centers, and many spend their own money on top of the fees they receive.

Q: Are there any downsides?

A: Dedicated funds reduce budget flexibility. Once money is in the fund, future legislatures couldn’t redirect it to other needs, even in a budget crunch. If lawmakers move existing revenue into the fund, whatever currently receives that money could get less. The resolution doesn’t identify any program that would lose funding or estimate how much money the fund would hold.

Q: How did lawmakers vote?

A: House Resolution 1243 passed the House 162–0 on March 4, 2026, and the Senate 49–0 in its final vote on March 31, 2026. Its authors included Rep. Chuck Martin and House Speaker Jon Burns, and Sen. Timothy Bearden carried it in the Senate.

Q: What does a yes or no vote mean?

• Yes: The legislature may create a dedicated Next Generation 9-1-1 Fund whose money can only be used for 9-1-1 systems.
• No: The constitution would not gain this new authorization. 9-1-1 funding continues under current arrangements.