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  JULY 10, 2013
	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). The
bill would require an MLTS operator, as defined, 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 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 an exemption for a multiline telephone system
serving a building or structure with less than 7,000 square feet of
workspace. The bill would authorize the assessment of civil penalties
 by the division  against  an MLTS operator or  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) 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) 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   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   breakrooms  , 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 PSTN
from any telephone on the MLTS is routed to the appropriate PSAP and
provides ALI or ANI to the 911 network that connects to the PSAP.
   (c) An MLTS operator shall program the MLTS equipment to transmit
with any 911 call 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.   or
PEAP. 
   (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 either a demonstration of, or written instructions as to, how
to place an emergency call from a telephone station.
   (2) An MLTS operator shall 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.
   (e) (1) An MLTS operator shall arrange to update the ALI database
with appropriate 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) Applicable Federal Communications Commission rules and orders
regarding enhanced 911 systems shall take precedence over any
provision contained in this section.
   (g) 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 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 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) (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 . In the event of a dispute, the State
Fire Marshal shall determine the square footage of a workspace.
   (2) This exemption does not apply to temporary structures or
facilities with MLTS.
   (j) An  MLTS operator or 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  civil  fine from five hundred
dollars ($500) to five thousand dollars ($5,000) per system sold or
leased.  The division shall be responsible for the enforcement of
this subdivision. 
   (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.