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 SENATE  JUNE 25, 2013
	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  operators of  multiline telephone systems
(MLTS)  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  
the appropriate  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   an exemption for a
multiline telephone system serving a building or   structure
with less than  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.  
   (a) Public safety is threatened when 911 calls placed to public
safety dispatchers from telephone systems serving multiple stations
in large buildings or complexes do not identify the precise location
of the caller.  
   (b) The enhanced 911 system widely deployed today enables a caller'
s telephone number and service address to be displayed to the public
safety dispatcher who receives the 911 call. Public safety agencies
increasingly rely on this enhanced 911 system to provide dependable
and precise information about a caller's location and a reliable
number to call back in order to reach the person who called for
emergency assistance.  
   (c) Even with the enhanced 911 system, however, emergency calls
may not provide precise caller location when made from one station of
a multiline telephone system commonly used in large hospitals,
public schools, government offices, assisted living facilities,
businesses, and chain stores. This lack of precise location
information can be life threatening if the person making the
emergency call cannot supply the correct location to the dispatcher.
 
   (d) Emergency calls from a large building or campus with a
multiline telephone system also can be routed to the wrong public
safety dispatch office, sometimes in a different city or region.
 
   (e) These limitations of multiline telephone systems not only
delay emergency response time, but also cause limited public safety
resources to be dispatched where they are not needed and disrupt
business operations as response units attempt to locate the caller.
 
   (f) This act will enhance public safety through requirements to
ensure that 911 emergency calls made from individual stations of
multiline telephone systems provide specific location information of
the caller. 
  SEC. 2.  Section 53121 is added to the Government Code, to read:

   53121.  (a) A multiline telephone system (MLTS) operator 

    53121.    (a) For purposes of this section, the
following terms have the following meanings:  
   (1) "Automatic location identification (ALI)" means the automatic
display at the PSAP of a caller's telephone number, address or
location of the telephone, and supplementary emergency services
information.  
   (2) "Automatic number identification (ANI)" means the automatic
display at the PSAP of the telephone number associated with the
access line from which a 911 call originates.  
   (3) "Centrex" means a business telephone service offered by some
local exchange carriers that provides PBX-type features over access
lines.  
   (4) "Emergency location identification number (ELIN)" means a
valid North American numbering plan format telephone number (assigned
to the MLTS operator by the appropriate authority), that is used to
route the call to a PSAP and used to retrieve the ALI for the PSAP.
The ELIN may be the same number as the ANI. In some cases, the number
may not be a dialable number.  
   (5) "Emergency response location (ERL)" means a location that
provides a minimum of the building and floor location of the caller
to which a 911 emergency response team may be dispatched.  
   (6) "Master street address guide (MSAG)" means a database of
street names and house number ranges within their associated
communities defining emergency service zones and their associated
emergency service numbers to enable proper routing of 911 calls.

   (7) "Multiline telephone system (MLTS)" means a system comprised
of a common control unit or units, telephone sets, and control
hardware and software. This includes, but is not limited to, network
and premises based systems, such as Centrex and PBX, Hybrid, and Key
Telephone Systems.  
   (8) "MLTS operator" means the entity that purchases, leases, or
otherwise contracts for the entity's use of the MLTS and therefore is
responsible for ensuring that a 911 emergency call placed from an
MLTS is transmitted in accordance with this section, regardless of
the type of MLTS technology used to generate the call.  
   (9) "Private emergency answering point (PEAP)" means an answering
point operated by nonpublic safety entities with alternative and
adequate means of signaling and directing a response to emergencies.
 
   (10) "Private branch exchange (PBX)" means a private telephone
switch that is connected to the public switched telephone Network or
successor network.  
   (11) "Public switched telephone network (PSTN)" means the network
of equipment, lines, and controls assembled to establish
communication paths between calling and called parties in North
America.  
   (12) "Public safety answering point (PSAP)" means a facility
equipped and staffed to receive 911 calls.  
   (13) "Workspace" means the physical building area where work is
normally performed. This is a net square footage measurement that
includes hallways, conference rooms, restrooms, and break rooms, but
does not include wall thickness, shafts, heating, ventilating, or air
conditioning equipment spaces, mechanical electrical spaces, or
similar areas where employees do not normally perform work
activities. 
    (b)     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 switched telephone
network   PSTN  from any telephone on the MLTS is
routed to  a public safety answering point (PSAP) 
 the appropriate PSAP  and provides  automatic
location information   ALI  or  automatic
number identification   ANI  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 location information provided by the
MLTS.  
   (3) The PSAP is equipped to utilize the emergency response
location information. 
   (c)  For an MLTS serving business locations, the 
 An  MLTS operator shall program the MLTS equipment to
 deliver the   transmit with any  911 call
 with an emergency location identification number which will
result in either of the following:   the ELIN and
emergency response location of the caller either directly to the
PSAP, or in a manner that enables a direct response through an
alternate and adequate means of signaling by the establishment of a
private point.  
   (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 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  , or written instructions as to,  how to
place an emergency call from a telephone  station or provide
written instructions at each telephone station on how to do so.
  station. 
   (2) An MLTS operator shall  either  provide each
new user of the MLTS with  either  a demonstration of  ,
or written instructions at each station as to,  how to place an
emergency call from a telephone  station or provide written
instructions at each station on how to do so.   station.

   (e) (1)  Where applicable, an   An  MLTS
operator shall arrange to update the  automatic location
information   ALI  database with appropriate
 master street address guide   MSAG or an
appropriate equivalent  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  a  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 review and verify the accuracy of the
number and location information 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 applicable
  Applicable  Federal Communications Commission
rules and orders regarding enhanced 911 systems  shall take
precedence over any provision contained in this section  .
   (g)  A business providing temporary structures or
facilities, regardless of size, with an MLTS shall permit the dialing
of 911 and the MLTS operator   The   MLTS
operator that provides voice communication services to temporary
structures or facilities, regardless of the size,  shall ensure
that the MLTS is connected to the  public switched telephone
network   PSTN  . 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.
   (h) (1) An MLTS operator  , service provider  , 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 service
provider,  or  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.
   (i)  An   (1)     This
section shall not apply to an  MLTS serving  a building or
 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   dispute, the State Fire Marshal shall
determine the  square  footage, the State Fire Marshal
shall determine whether the exemption applies to the building or
structures   footage of a workspace  . 
   (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.
 
   (k) This section shall not apply to MLTS operators in areas
without enhanced 911 service.  
   (2) This exemption does not apply to temporary structures or
facilities with MLTS.  
   (l) 
    (j)  An entity that 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. 
   (m) For purposes of this section, "MLTS operator" means the entity
that purchases, leases, or otherwise contracts for the entity's use
of the MLTS equipment.  
   (n) For purposes of this section, "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.  
   (o) 
    (k)  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.