BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 423|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 423
Author: Torres (D)
Amended: 7/14/09 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE ENERGY, U.&C. COMMITTEE : 11-0, 7/7/09
AYES: Padilla, Benoit, Calderon, Corbett, Cox, Kehoe,
Lowenthal, Simitian, Strickland, Wiggins, Wright
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 12-0, 8/27/09
AYES: Kehoe, Cox, Corbett, Denham, Hancock, Leno, Oropeza,
Price, Runner, Walters, Wyland, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Wolk
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 63-15, 6/3/09 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Emergency telephone systems
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the review of technical and
operational standards for 911 systems by the Office of the
Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to include standards for
recruitment and training of public safety dispatchers.
This bill adds one representative from the Commission on
Peace Officer Standards and Training and one representative
from the Office of the State Fire Marshal to the State 911
Advisory Board. This bill also modifies the requirement
that the State 911 Advisory Board advise the OCIO on
training standards for county coordinators and 911 system
CONTINUED
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answering point managers to also advise the OCIO concerning
issues related to the receipt of calls in a language other
than English.
ANALYSIS : The Governor's Reorganization Plan (GRP) No. 1
of the 2009-10 Session is intended to consolidate statewide
information technology (IT) functions under the OCIO. By
creating a central IT organization, the Governor hopes the
state will leverage the state's IT program for greater
coordination and efficiency while reducing costs, saving
the state approximately $1.5 billion over the next five
years. The GRP is based on a recent Little Hoover
Commission report that proposed realigning IT resources,
including placing the Department of Technology Services
(DTS) under the OCIO.
For the purposes of this bill, the GRP proposes to
integrate four agencies - the OCIO, the Office of
Information Security and Privacy Protection (Office of
Information Security), DTS, and the Department of General
Services (DGS) telecommunication division - into an
expanded OCIO.
Current law requires 911 systems serving areas where more
than five percent of the population speaks a primary
language other than English to have operators who speak
that language available on duty or through a telephone
conference at all times. This requirement has been met
through a contract with a foreign language translation
service provider.
Chapter 443, Statutes of 1976, provided for a surcharge on
intrastate communications services and later Voice over
Internet Protocol service, to be deposited in the State
Emergency Telephone Number Account. This Account was
created to fund the costs of planning and implementing a
uniform three digit telephone number through which
emergency services can be obtained. Section 41030 of the
Revenue and Taxation Code provides that DGS shall determine
annually a surcharge rate that it estimates will produce
sufficient revenue to fund the current fiscal year's 911
system costs, though in no event shall such a surcharge
rate in any year be greater than three-fourths of one
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percent nor less than one-half of one percent.
This Account has a 2009-10 fund balance estimated at
$95,253,000 after total expenditures of $127,741,000 on
total resources of $222,994,000.
The OCIO estimates the need for two telecommunications
systems manager 1 positions. At a mid-salary range of
$5,328 plus 33 percent for benefits, annual costs would be
approximately $170,000 to develop and implement the
training and recruitment program requirements. The statute
requires review and updating each even numbered year. The
first time any standards for recruitment and training will
be reviewed will occur beginning January 1, 2010. This
analysis assumes the first review will require 18 months.
Comments
According to the author's office, this bill addresses
potential improvements in the procedures for recruiting,
training, and ongoing skill development for 911
dispatchers. 911 dispatchers perform a crucial function in
the public safety system. Their job is high-stress, and
requires precise and effective performance in order to
relay calls accurately from the public and making the call
to the proper emergency responder. Recruitment hurdles and
high rates of turnover make filling all dispatcher
positions challenging.
Background
POST was established by the Legislature, in 1959, to set
minimum selection and training standards for California law
enforcement. Participation in POST is voluntary. Over 600
agencies statewide have chosen to participate.
Participating agencies agree to abide by the standards
established by POST. POST offers over two dozen dispatcher
training courses, including basic and advanced public
safety dispatcher courses.
The need for multi-lingual intake capabilities . Clear
communication between the dispatcher and a person
requesting emergency services is extremely important.
Under the basic 911 system when an individual calls 911 the
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dispatcher does not automatically receive the caller's
phone number and location, thus the dispatcher needs to be
able to understand this information when it is relayed to
them. Furthermore, the dispatcher needs to understand the
nature of the emergency in order to ensure that they can
dispatch the appropriate responders.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 9/1/09)
California Ambulance Association
California Chapter of the National Emergency Number
Association
California Communities United Institute
California Peace Officers' Association
California State Sheriff's Association
California Statewide Law Enforcement Association
Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training
OPPOSITION : (Verified 9/1/09)
Office of the State Chief Information Officer
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Arambula, Beall, Bill Berryhill, Tom
Berryhill, Blakeslee, Blumenfield, Brownley, Buchanan,
Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Conway,
Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, Emmerson, Eng,
Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Gaines,
Galgiani, Garrick, Gilmore, Hall, Hayashi, Hernandez,
Hill, Huber, Huffman, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu,
Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Monning, Nava, John A.
Perez, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas,
Saldana, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Swanson, Torlakson,
Torres, Torrico, Tran, Bass
NOES: Anderson, DeVore, Duvall, Fuller, Hagman, Harkey,
Jeffries, Logue, Miller, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen,
Silva, Audra Strickland, Villines
NO VOTE RECORDED: Block, Yamada
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DLW:mw 9/1/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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