BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2459
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 9, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON UTILITIES AND COMMERCE
Steven Bradford, Chair
AB 2459 (Torres) - As Amended: February 24, 2012
SUBJECT : Local emergency telephone systems: appropriate use.
SUMMARY : This bill would require the California 911 Emergency
Communications Office to develop and implement a public
education campaign to instruct the public on appropriate and
inappropriate uses of the 911 emergency telephone number system.
EXISTING LAW
1)Requires every local public agency to have a 911 system that
includes police, firefighting, and emergency medical and
ambulance services.
2)Allows local public agencies to have discretion to include
other emergency services, in the discretion of the affected
local public agency, such as poison control services, suicide
prevention services, and civil defense services.
FISCAL EFFECT : UNKNOWN
COMMENTS :
1)According to the author, "AB 2459 establishes a public
education program to help the public better understand the
proper and inappropriate uses of the 9-1-1 system. Improved
understanding of the 9-1-1 emergency system will contribute to
more efficient utilization of emergency resources by the
public. The misuse of the 9-1-1 emergency system contributes
to the failure to meet minimum response times in California,
and endangers crime victims and persons in need of emergency
assistance. AB 2459 tasks the California 9-1-1 Emergency
Communications Office with developing the program, taking
input from phone carriers and the responder community,
including the 9-1-1 Advisory Board. AB 2459 will enable
members of the public to become better partners in using the
9-1-1 system effectively, and thus enhance public safety."
2)Beginning in 1999, 9-1-1 became the national 3-digit emergency
call number. Currently, over 240 million 9-1-1 calls are
AB 2459
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made annually to the 6187 public agencies serving as Public
Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) nationwide. In California,
over 480 PSAPs receive nearly 30 million calls annually. An
increasing proportion of these calls are delivered by wireless
and internet technology (over 40 % last year). PSAPs are
maintained by state and local law enforcement and public
safety agencies that are responsible both for taking the 9-1-1
emergency calls and responding to that emergency.
3)State level oversight is done by the California Technology
Agency (CTA) with coordination among PSAPs. The CTA is
assisted in this role by a statutory Advisory Board made up of
representative stakeholders from law enforcement, public
safety and communications providers;
4)Evolving technology, particularly the migration to wireless
telephony, as well as population growth, changing public
expectations, and changing types of threats and emergencies
entailing different types of response capabilities require
continuous review and upgrading of 9-1-1 systems. Landline
phones now provide 9-1-1 relay operators and dispatchers with
automatic number and location identification (ANI/ALI). The
enactment of the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act
of 1999 (Federal 911 Act), P.L. 106-81, and the subsequent
adoption of implementing regulations by the Federal
Communications Commission, 47 CFR 20.18, required ANI/ALI
capability for all wireless 9-1-1 calls by 2002, although the
system does not universally afford a level of functionality at
present that meets FCC standards. The US Department of
Transportation is preparing to implement a digital 911
service, so-called NextGen 911.
5)The Advisory Board provides over sight to technical and
operational standards for the California 9-1-1 system
pertaining to:
a) Policies, practices and procedures for the California
9-1-1 Emergency Communications Office,
b) Technical and operational standards for the California
9-1-1 system consistent with the National Emergency Number
Association standards,
c) Training standards for county coordinators and PSAP
managers,
d) Budget, funding, and reimbursement decisions related to
the State Emergency Telephone Number Account,
AB 2459
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e) Proposed projects and studies conducted or funded by the
State Emergency Telephone Number Account,
f) Expediting the roll out of Enhanced 9-1-1 Phase II
technology and future Next Generation 9-1-1 operating
systems.
1)This bill will require the California 911 Emergency
Communications Office to develop and implement a public
education campaign to instruct the public on appropriate and
inappropriate uses of the 9-1-1 emergency telephone number
system.
2)As part of the Governor's proposed FY 2012-2013 budget, the
State 9-1-1 Advisory Board is proposed to be eliminated.
3)AB 770, AB 2281, ACR 130, and this bill are part of a package
of bills by this author directed toward improving 9-1-1
effectiveness.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file.
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Susan Kateley / U. & C. / (916)
319-2083