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  APRIL 24, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 21, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bloom

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2013

   An act to 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   an  MLTS
 provider   operator, as defined,  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   an entity that sells a   n MLTS sy
  stem in violation of  these requirements.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: 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  emergency  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  emergency  calls made
from telephones connected to  a   an  MLTS
may not be precisely located by the 911 system, eliminating some of
the  benefit   benefits  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  emergency  call.
  SEC. 2.  Section 53121 is added to the Government Code, to read:
   53121.  (a) A multiline telephone system (MLTS)  provider
  operator  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   an  MLTS serving business
locations, the MLTS  provider   operator 
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   An entity that sells
an MLTS system  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   an  MLTS
 provider   operator  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  operator  shall
audit accuracy of information contained in the automatic location
information database at least once annually.
   (f)  A MLTS provider   An MLTS operator 
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  the  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   an  MLTS
shall permit the dialing of 911 and the MLTS  provider
  operator  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   operator  of
the temporary structure or facility shall provide specific location
information of the caller to the PSAP.
   (i) (1)  A MLTS provider,   An MLTS operator,
its  employees   employees,  or 
its  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   An  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   An  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
  operators  in areas without enhanced 911 service.

   (m)  A MLTS provider who   An entity that
 sells  a   an  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) For purposes of this section, "MLTS operator" means the entity
responsible for ensuring that a 911 emergency call placed from an
MLTS is transmitted and received in accordance with this section,
regardless of the type of MLTS technology used to generate the call.
 
   (n) 
   (o)  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.