Amended in Assembly March 21, 2013

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 911

Introduced by Assembly Member Bloom

February 22, 2013

An act to begin delete amend Section 53120 of end delete begin insert add Section 53121 to end insert 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.

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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 MLTS provider 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 these requirements.

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This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that law.

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Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

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The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

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(a) There are gaps in public safety protection and accurate
caller location information is vital for 911 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.

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(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.

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(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.

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(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 calls made from
telephones connected to a MLTS may not be precisely located by
the 911 system, eliminating some of the benefit of enhanced 911.
This lack of adequate location information can be life threatening
if the caller cannot supply the correct location.

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(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.

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(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 call.

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begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

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begin insert Section 53121 is added to the end insert begin insert Government Code end insert begin insert , to
read: end insert

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begin insert 53121. end insert   

(a) A multiline telephone system (MLTS) provider 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 MLTS serving business locations, the MLTS provider
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 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 MLTS provider 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 shall audit accuracy of information
contained in the automatic location information database at least
once annually.

(f) A MLTS provider 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 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 MLTS shall permit the dialing of 911
and the MLTS provider 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 of the temporary structure or facility shall
provide specific location information of the caller to the PSAP.

(i) (1) A MLTS provider, its employees or 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 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 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 in areas
without enhanced 911 service.

(m) A MLTS provider who sells a 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) 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.

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SECTION 1.  

Section 53120 of the Government Code is
amended to read:

53120.  

The division shall not delay implementation of the
enhanced “911” emergency telephone system in the portion of a
city or a county, or both, served by a local telephone corporation
that has equipment compatible with the enhanced “911” emergency
telephone system.

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