After three years of hard work, the Senate passed S 428, the IP-Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act. This is a companion bill to HR 3403, the 911 Modernization Act, that passed the House in December. This bill will be signed into law after a conference between the Senate and House.
Additionally, a National 9-1-1 Education Month Resolution (House Resolution 537) was adopted by the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee today. With any luck, the full House will adopt the measure as soon as next Tuesday. So, it was quite a good day in Washington yesterday for 9-1-1.
As a reminder, the primary effects of S 428 bill are as follows:
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Requires VoIP companies to provide 9-1-1 and E9-1-1 in accordance with FCC Rules
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Provides liability parity for PSAPs, providers and their vendors equivalent to wireless and wireline for all communications services that are required by the FCC to provide 9-1-1/E9-1-1 (today and in the future) as well as for services that voluntarily provide information to PSAPs, in the absence of an FCC requirement, with approval from the appropriate state or local 9-1-1 governing authority
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Confirms state authority to impose and collect 9-1-1 fees from VoIP and wireless providers and requires the FCC to report annually on the status of the imposition and collection of 9-1-1 fees in the states, including if fees are being used for purposes not provided for in the statute adopting the fee
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Requires National 9-1-1 Program Office to produce a report to Congress within 270 days on migration to NG9-1-1, with focus on needed legislative/regulatory changes
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Amends ENHANCE 9-1-1 Act to make PSAP grant funds available for Phase II wireless upgrades and also for the "migration to an IP-enabled emergency network".
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Requires owners of E9-1-1 infrastructure to provide open access to VoIP providers for the completion of E9-1-1 service and authorizes FCC to delegate enforcement of this section to the states
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