BILL NUMBER: AB 1564 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 241
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE AUGUST 30, 2016
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR AUGUST 30, 2016
PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 16, 2016
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY MAY 12, 2016
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 17, 2016
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Williams
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Brough)
(Coauthor: Senator Hertzberg)
JANUARY 4, 2016
An act to add Sections 8592.8 and 8592.9 to the Government Code,
and to add Section 2986.1 to, and to repeal Section 2892 of, the
Public Utilities Code, relating to emergency services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1564, Williams. Emergency services: wireless 911 calls:
routing.
The Public Safety Communication Act of 2002, among other things,
requires the Public Safety Radio Strategic Planning Committee to
develop and implement a statewide integrated public safety
communication system that facilitates interoperability among state
public safety departments and other first response agencies and
coordinate other shared uses of the public safety spectrum consistent
with decisions and regulations of the Federal Communications
Commission.
This bill would require that a provider of commercial mobile radio
service, as defined, provide access for end users of that service to
the local emergency telephone systems described in the
Warren-911-Emergency Assistance Act, that "911" be the primary access
number for those services, and that user validation not be required.
The bill would prohibit a provider of commercial mobile radio
service from charging any airtime, access, or similar usage charge
for any "911" call placed from a commercial mobile radio service
telecommunications device to a local emergency telephone system. The
bill would authorize "911" calls from commercial mobile radio service
telecommunications devices to be routed to a public safety answering
point other than the Department of the California Highway Patrol
(CHP) only if the alternate routing meets specified requirements. The
bill would repeal similar provisions regarding wireless "911" calls
in the Public Utilities Code.
This bill would require the Office of Emergency Services to
require the Public Safety Communications Division to work with
wireless carriers to verify that all cell sector routing decisions
for wireless "911" calls, made pursuant to these provisions, have
been implemented. The bill would also require the Office of Emergency
Services to maximize the efficiency of the wireless "911" emergency
telephone system and to require the Public Safety Communications
Division to work with the CHP and county coordinators to determine
whether the most efficient routing of wireless "911" calls should be
to a local public safety answering point or to a CHP center, using
specified criteria, with a comprehensive statewide review and routing
decisionmaking process to be completed annually. After completion of
the comprehensive statewide review and routing decisionmaking
process, the bill would authorize specified local entities to submit
a written request for a review of a specific cell sector based on
specified criteria to the Public Safety Communications Division.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 8592.8 is added to the Government Code, to
read:
8592.8. A "911" call, as described in Section 2896.1 of the
Public Utilities Code, from a commercial mobile radio service
telecommunications device may be routed to a public safety answering
point other than the Department of the California Highway Patrol only
if the alternate routing meets all of the following requirements:
(a) The "911" call originates from a location other than from a
freeway, as defined in Section 23.5 of the Streets and Highways Code,
under the jurisdiction of the Department of the California Highway
Patrol.
(b) The alternate routing is economically and technologically
feasible.
(c) The alternate routing will benefit public safety.
(d) The Department of the California Highway Patrol, the Office of
Emergency Services, and the current or proposed alternate public
safety answering point, in consultation with the wireless industry
and local law enforcement officials, determine that it is in the best
interest of the public, will provide more effective emergency
service to the public to route "911" calls that do not originate from
a freeway, as defined in Section 23.5 of the Streets and Highways
Code, or any other area in which the Department of the California
Highway Patrol has jurisdiction to respond, to another public safety
answering point, and will result in "911" calls being routed to the
responsible responding jurisdiction that covers the location of the
call origination point.
SEC. 2. Section 8592.9 is added to the Government Code, to read:
8592.9. (a) The Office of Emergency Services shall take all
necessary actions to maximize the efficiency of the "911" system.
(b) The office shall require the Public Safety Communications
Division to work with the Department of the California Highway Patrol
and county coordinators to review call data on the routing of "911"
cell phone traffic to assess whether wireless "911" calls should be
routed to a local public safety answering point or a California
Highway Patrol call center in order to determine the most efficient
routing for wireless "911" calls, with a comprehensive statewide
review and routing decisionmaking process, both to be conducted
annually.
(c) After completion of the annual comprehensive statewide review
and routing decisionmaking process, a local fire, police, sheriff, or
emergency medical services agency, or a local public safety
answering point, may submit a written request for a review of a
specific cell sector based on the criteria specified in Section
8592.8 to the Public Safety Communications Division within the Office
of Emergency Services.
(d) The office shall also require its Public Safety Communications
Division to work with the wireless carriers to verify that all cell
sector routing decisions made pursuant to Section 8592.8 have been
implemented.
SEC. 3. Section 2896.1 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
read:
2896.1. A provider of commercial mobile radio service, as defined
in Section 216.8, shall provide access for end users of that service
to the local emergency telephone systems described in the
Warren-911-Emergency Assistance Act (Article 6 (commencing with
Section 53100) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the
Government Code). "911" shall be the primary access number for those
emergency systems. A provider of commercial mobile radio service, in
accordance with all applicable Federal Communication Commission
orders, shall transmit all "911" calls from technologically
compatible commercial mobile radio service communication devices
without requiring user validation or any similar procedure. A
provider of commercial mobile radio service may not charge any
airtime, access, or similar usage charge for any "911" call placed
from a commercial mobile radio service telecommunications device to a
local emergency telephone system.
SEC. 4. Section 2892 of the Public Utilities Code is repealed.