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AB-1564 Emergency services: wireless 911 calls: routing.(2015-2016)

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Assembly Bill No. 1564
CHAPTER 241

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.

[ Approved by Governor  August 30, 2016. Filed with Secretary of State  August 30, 2016. ]

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.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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.