Bill Text: CA AB911 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Telephone systems: 911.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2013-08-30 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB911 Detail]

Download: California-2013-AB911-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 911	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 21, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bloom

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2013

   An act to  amend Section 53120 of   add
Section 53121 to  the Government Code, relating to telephone
systems.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 911, as amended, Bloom. Telephone systems: 911.
   The Warren-911-Emergency Assistance Act requires every local
public agency to establish and operate a telephone system that
automatically connects a person dialing "911" to an established
public safety answering point through normal telephone service
facilities. Existing law prohibits the Public Safety Communications
Division in the Department of Technology from delaying the
implementation of the enhanced "911" emergency telephone system, as
provided. 
   This bill would, commencing January 1, 2019, establish various
requirements regarding 911 emergency call technology that would be
applicable to multiline telephone systems (MLTS), providers of shared
telecommunication services, and businesses with a MLTS. The bill
would require a MLTS provider in an area that has enhanced 911
capability to maintain and operate the MLTS, as specified, to ensure
that each emergency call placed from any telephone station on the
MLTS is routed to a public safety answering point and provides either
automatic location information or automation number identification
to the 911 network that connects to the public safety answering
point. The bill would provide exemptions for buildings or structures
under 7,000 square feet or where enhanced 911 service is not
available. The bill would authorize the assessment of civil penalties
against a MLTS provider that violates these requirements. 

   This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that law. 

   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    The Legislature finds and declares all
of the following:  
   (a) There are gaps in public safety protection and accurate caller
location information is vital for 911 calls and the safety of
Californians. Problem calls originate from large hospitals, public
schools, large businesses, large chain stores, local government
offices, and assisted living facilities.  
   (b) Problems with the current 911 systems include: (1) misrouting
a call to an entirely wrong public safety answering point (PSAP),
sometimes in a different city or region; (2) delivery of wrong or
inaccurate caller location information to the proper PSAP.  

   (c) Enhancements to the 911 system typically enable the caller's
telephone number and service address to be displayed to the PSAP. As
a result, when the caller is calling from a single-line telephone or
a multiline telephone system (MLTS) serving a compact area, the
address associated with the caller's telephone number can be
retrieved and usually provides a reasonably precise identification of
the caller's location.  
   (d) Public safety agencies increasingly rely on the enhanced 911
system to provide dependable and precise information about the caller'
s location and a reliable number to call back in order to reach the
caller. However, in some cases 911 calls made from telephones
connected to a MLTS may not be precisely located by the 911 system,
eliminating some of the benefit of enhanced 911. This lack of
adequate location information can be life threatening if the caller
cannot supply the correct location.  
   (e) Related problems occur when the caller is remote from the
location supplied to the 911 system. In this instance not only is
response delayed but limited public safety resources are dispatched
where they are not needed. There may also be considerable disruption
in business operations as the response units attempt to locate the
caller.  
   (f) This act will address the issue of MLTS regarding the
installation of equipment and software necessary to provide specific
location information for a 911 call. 
   SEC. 2.    Section 53121 is added to the  
Government Code   , to read:  
   53121.  (a) A multiline telephone system (MLTS) provider shall
maintain and operate the MLTS in such a manner that a telephone call
made by dialing the digits "911" and, if applicable, any additional
digit that must be dialed in order to permit the user to access the
public switch telephone network from any telephone on the MLTS is
routed to a public safety answering point (PSAP) and provides
automatic location information or automatic number identification to
the 911 network that connects to the PSAP.
   (b) Enhanced 911 MLTS support service is deemed to be available if
all of the following features are operating:
   (1) The PSAP can accept emergency location identification number
information from the MLTS using generally accepted industry standard
interfaces.
   (2) The PSAP has customer premise equipment in place to accept and
store the emergency response locations information provided by the
MLTS.
   (3) The PSAP is equipped to utilize the emergency response
locations information.
   (c) For a MLTS serving business locations, the MLTS provider shall
deliver the 911 call with an emergency location identification
number which will result in either of the following:
   (1) An emergency response location which provides a minimum of the
building and floor location of the caller.
   (2) An ability to direct response through an alternate and
adequate means of signaling by the establishments of a private
answering point.
   (d) A MLTS provider shall provide, at the time of sale, to the
purchaser and to each new user, either a demonstration of how to
place an emergency call from a telephone station or provide written
instructions at each telephone station that informs an individual how
to place an emergency call from the telephone station.
   (e) (1) Where applicable, a MLTS provider shall arrange to update
the automatic location information database with appropriate master
street address guide valid address and callback information for each
MLTS telephone, such that the location information specifies the
emergency response location of the caller. These updates shall be
downloaded or made available to the automatic location information
database provider as soon as practicable for new MLTS installation,
or within one business day of the record of completion of the actual
changes for previously installed systems. The information is subject
to all federal and state privacy and confidentiality laws.
   (2) The MLTS provider shall audit accuracy of information
contained in the automatic location information database at least
once annually.
   (f) A MLTS provider shall be considered to be in compliance with
this section when the MLTS complies with the enhanced 911 system
generally accepted industry standards as adopted by the federal
Communications Commission. The telecommunication local exchange
carriers and Internet service providers are responsible for providing
interconnectivity through the use of generally accepted industry
standards.
   (g) Providers of shared telecommunications services shall ensure
that MLTS is connected to the public switch network such that 911
calls from any telephone result in automatic location information for
each emergency response location.
   (h) A business providing temporary structures or facilities,
regardless of size, with a MLTS shall permit the dialing of 911 and
the MLTS provider shall ensure that the MLTS is connected to the
public switched telephone network. Where automatic location
information records are not provided for each individual station the
MLTS provider of the temporary structure or facility shall provide
specific location information of the caller to the PSAP.
   (i) (1) A MLTS provider, its employees or agents shall not be
liable to any person for damages incurred as the result of any act or
omission by it, except for gross negligence or intentional, willful,
or wanton misconduct, in connection with maintaining or operating
the MLTS in a manner required by this section.
   (2) A telecommunications service provider, its employees, or
agents shall not be liable to any person for damages incurred as the
result of the release of information not in the public record,
including, but not limited to, unpublished or unlisted telephone
numbers, to a PSAP, its employees or agents, or to emergency
responders, made in connection with an emergency call.
   (j) A MLTS serving multiple buildings or structures with a
combined total of 7,000 square feet or less shall not be required to
provide more than one emergency response location. A MLTS serving a
single building with less than 7,000 square feet or less shall not be
required to provide more than one emergency response location. In
the event of a dispute over the total amount of square footage, the
State Fire Marshal shall determine whether the exemption applies to
the building or structures.
   (k) Key Telephone Systems, which serve only small workspace areas,
are not required to comply with this section. Other MLTS, such as
PBX or Hybrids (systems that incorporate the functionality of both
Key Telephone Systems and PBX), shall comply with this section.
   (l) This section shall not apply to MLTS providers in areas
without enhanced 911 service.
   (m) A MLTS provider who sells a MLTS system in violation of this
section after January 1, 2019, may be assessed a fine from five
hundred dollars ($500) to five thousand dollars ($5,000) per system
sold.
   (n) The provisions of this section shall become operative on
January 1, 2019. In areas where enhanced 911 service first becomes
available after January 1, 2019, MLTS providers shall have 12 months
from the date enhanced 911 service became available to comply with
these provisions.  
  SECTION 1.    Section 53120 of the Government Code
is amended to read:
   53120.  The division shall not delay implementation of the
enhanced "911" emergency telephone system in the portion of a city or
a county, or both, served by a local telephone corporation that has
equipment compatible with the enhanced "911" emergency telephone
system.