BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                     AB 510


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          Date of Hearing:  May 20, 2015


                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS


                                 Jimmy Gomez, Chair


          AB  
          510 (Rodriguez) - As Introduced February 23, 2015


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          Urgency:  No  State Mandated Local Program:  NoReimbursable:  No


          SUMMARY:


          This bill requires the Office of Emergency Services (OES) to  
          conduct, by January 1, 2017, a comprehensive review of the  
          state's 911 emergency communications system, including all  
          public safety answering points, available technology, funding  
          needs, telephone and equipment limitations, and the accuracy of  
          calls made by mobile devices, and provide a report on its  
          findings and recommendations to the Legislature.


          FISCAL EFFECT:










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          Minor and absorbable costs to OES as a similar report has  
          already been commissioned.


          COMMENTS:


          1)Purpose.  According to the author, there are two primary  
            problems with the state's current 911 emergency call system  
            resulting from the widespread use of mobile phones: (i) calls  
            are misrouted to the incorrect public safety answering point,  
            sometimes in another city or county; and (ii) caller location  
            information provided to the public safety answering point is  
            often inaccurate.  The author claims approximately 70% to 80%  
            of 911 calls are now made by wireless devices.  These calls  
            are typically forwarded to the California Highway Patrol,  
            which ascertains the location of the call and transfers the  
            caller to the appropriate local dispatch center, often causing  
            delays in emergency response services.


          2)Review Underway.  The author believes it is imperative the  
            state perform a review of its 911 emergency communications  
            systems and procedures, and adopt new technologies to improve  
            performance and accuracy.  OES agrees, and has commissioned  
            such a study, a copy of which would likely be sufficient to  
            comply with the requirements of this bill.  In addition, the  
            Federal Communications Commission promulgated new rules  
            requiring 911 systems to provide greater accuracy in locating  
            wireless callers, phasing in the new requirements over the  
            next 5 years.


          3)Withering Fees.  The state's 911 program is currently funded  
            with a statewide 0.75% surcharge on intrastate telephone  
            costs.  Revenue from this surcharge has been declining for  
            years as a result in reductions in intrastate telephone  
            charges.  In response, several other states have instituted  
            flat monthly fees for all telephone customers to fund 911  








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            program costs.





          Analysis Prepared by:Joel Tashjian / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081