SPRINGFIELD — Cash-strapped emergency 9-1-1 systems in downstate Illinois could benefit from a change in state law approved by Gov. Pat Quinn.

Legislation sponsored by state Rep. John Bradley (D-Marion) doesn’t change the current 73-cent monthly fee paid by mobile phone users for 9-1-1 services, but it does change how that money is distributed to counties in order to account for the ongoing shift from land lines to mobile phones.

The Illinois Commerce Commission estimates the redistribution will lead to an increase of $24,000 for each county 9-1-1 system with a population below 100,000.

The law, signed by Quinn on Friday, also calls for a year-long study that could lead to more sweeping changes in how 9-1-1 is funded, Bradley said.

The move to cellphones has affected 9-1-1 funding that, for years, was based mainly on land line users. In university communities, for example, students using mobile phones from far-away hometowns can use 9-1-1 in those communities, but aren’t paying any fees to support the local service.

Rural areas with interstate highways also are affected by emergency calls from out-of-state people who are traveling through the region.

“We had to do something,” Bradley said.