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  MAY 29, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 8, 2013
	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 voice communications services, as defined,  and
businesses with MLTS. The bill would require an MLTS 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 of workspace or  MLTS operators in areas  where
enhanced 911 service is not available. The bill would authorize the
assessment of civil penalties against an entity that sells  or
leases  an MLTS system 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 an MLTS may not be precisely located by the
911 system, eliminating some of the 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) 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   switched  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  
location  information provided by the MLTS.
   (3) The PSAP is equipped to utilize the emergency response
 locations   location  information.
   (c) For an MLTS serving business locations, the MLTS operator
shall  program the MLTS equipment to  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)  (1)    An entity that  sells
  is the seller or   lessor of  an MLTS
system shall provide, at the time of sale  or lease  , to
the purchaser  or lessee  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   on how to do so  .

   (2) An MLTS operator shall either provide each new user of the
MLTS with a demonstration of how to place an emergency call from a
telephone station or provide written instructions at each station on
how to do so. 
   (e) (1) Where applicable, an MLTS 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 operator shall  audit   review
and verify the  accuracy of  the number and location 
information  contained in the automatic location information
database   provided by the MLTS  at least once
annually.
   (f)  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
  applicable  Federal Communications Commission
 rules and orders regarding enhanced 911 systems  . 
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 voice communications 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) 
    (g)  A business providing temporary structures or
facilities, regardless of size, with an MLTS shall permit the dialing
of 911 and the MLTS 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 operator of the temporary structure or facility shall provide
specific location information of the caller to the PSAP. 
   (i) 
    (h)  (1) An MLTS operator, its 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  voice  communications
 service provider, its  affiliates, directors, officers,
 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) 
    (i)  An MLTS serving multiple buildings or structures
with a combined total workspace of 7,000 square feet or less shall
not be required to provide more than one emergency response location.
An MLTS serving a single building with 7,000 square feet of
workspace 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) 
    (j)  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) 
    (k)  This section shall not apply to MLTS operators in
areas without enhanced 911 service. 
   (m) 
    (l)  An entity that  sells   is a
seller or lessor of  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 
or leased  . 
   (n) 
    (m)  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.   that purchases, leases, or
otherwise contracts for the entity's use of the MLTS equipment 
 .  
   (o) 
    (n)  For purposes of this section,  "shared
voice communications services" means providing telecommunications
services and equipment within a user group, including providing
connections to the facilities of a local exchange and to
interexchange telecommunications companies   "emergency
response location" means a location that provides, at a minimum, the
location of the building and floor number of the caller to which a
911 emergency response team may be dispatched  . 
   (p) 
    (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.