BILL ANALYSIS
AB 538
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 22, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Kevin De Leon, Chair
AB 538 (Arambula) - As Amended: April 15, 2009
Policy Committee: Public
SafetyVote: 7-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: Yes
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes entities that provide emergency medical
services to report intentional, non-emergency misuse of the 911
system to the public safety agency that originally received the
call, and upon verification that a violation has occurred, the
public safety entity originally receiving the call shall issue
the applicable warnings and citations (a warning for a first
offense, followed by an infraction for subsequent offenses).
FISCAL EFFECT
Minor nonreimbursable local costs, offset to a degree by
increased fine revenue, to the extent this bill results in
additional reports and investigations.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale. According to the author, "This bill is intended to
address the problem of individuals who call 911 to arrange for
emergency medical transportation, knowing that they do not
have a medical emergency.
"Existing law addresses the problem of people who call 911 as
a prank, to harass, or to make conversation unrelated to any
emergency. However, the law is somewhat vague in dealing with
individuals who claim they are having an emergency primarily
to use the dispatched emergency transportation as a taxi
service."
2)Amendment . Per recent authors' amendments, potential mandate
issues raised by San Bernardino County should no longer be a
AB 538
Page 2
concern.
Analysis Prepared by : Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081