BILL NUMBER: AB 424	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JANUARY 7, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JANUARY 4, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 22, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Torres

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2009

   An act to add Section 53114.5 to the Government Code, relating to
the 911 emergency  response   telephone number
 system.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 424, as amended, Torres. Warren-911-Emergency Assistance Act:
public education campaign.
   The Warren-911-Emergency Assistance Act requires every local
public agency to establish and operate, or to be a part of, an
emergency telephone system using the digits "911," and creates the
State 911 Advisory Board to assist in facilitating the purpose of the
act to establish the number 911 as the primary emergency telephone
number statewide.
   This bill would require the office of the State Chief Information
Officer to develop and implement a public education campaign to
instruct the public on the appropriate and inappropriate uses of the
911 emergency  response   telephone number 
system.
   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) Calling 911 is the primary way of initiating communication
between the public and public safety and law enforcement responders.
   (b) The 911 emergency  response   telephone
number  system in California is facing multiple challenges in
meeting the needs of the public, including rapidly evolving
communications technologies, under-staffing of public safety
answering points, budget constraints, and technical limitations of
the current systems. Due to these challenges, the state's 911
emergency  response   telephone number 
system is failing to meet minimum standards for response in some
areas, and jeopardizing the health and safety of Californians.
   (c)  The public   Californians  can
participate in addressing some of these challenges by increasing
their knowledge of appropriate and inappropriate uses of the 911
emergency  response   telephone number 
system, and the characteristics of the communication systems they use
to access the 911 emergency  response  
telephone number  system.
   (d) The responsible state entities should undertake a public
education campaign to increase the public's knowledge and assist the
public in making effective use of the 911 emergency  response
  telephone number  system, thereby improving the
performance of the  entire  911 emergency 
response   telephone number  system.
  SEC. 2.  Section 53114.5 is added to the Government Code, to read:
   53114.5.  (a) The office of the State Chief Information Officer
shall develop and implement a public education campaign to instruct
the public on appropriate and inappropriate uses of the 911 emergency
 response   telephone number  system. The
public education campaign may include any of the following:
   (1) Education programs designed to help members of the public 
:   distinguish emergencies that require a 911 call
from nonemergencies that can be handled through other types of
requests for information and response.  
   (2) Education programs about alternative systems, such as 211 and
311, that can provide nonemergency assistance to the public.
 
   (3) Education programs designed to help members of the public
understand what information they can provide when calling 911 to
assist the 911 relay operator or dispatcher, including, but not
limited to, the caller's phone number, the caller's location, and a
brief description of the emergency. 
    (4)     Any other
matters that the office deems appropriate or that the advisory board
recommends and the office approves.  
   (A) Distinguish emergencies that require a 911 call from
nonemergencies that can be handled through other types of requests
for information and response.  
   (B) Understand alternatives, including 211 and 311, that can
provide nonemergency assistance to the public.  
   (C) Understand what information they can provide when calling 911
to assist the 911 relay operator or dispatcher, including, but not
limited to, the caller's phone number, the caller's location, and a
brief description of the emergency.  
   (2) Education programs aimed specifically at informing schoolage
children about the appropriate and inappropriate uses of 911. 

   (3) Any other matters that the office deems appropriate or that
the advisory board recommends and the office approves. 
   (b) The costs to develop and implement the public education
campaign shall be costs of administration within the meaning of
paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 41136 of the Revenue and
Taxation Code, so long as these costs directly relate to the 911
emergency telephone number system, and shall be funded upon an
appropriation by the Legislature for that purpose.