BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1477
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1477 (Hertzberg)
As Introduced February 23, 2001
Majority vote
GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION 15-0APPROPRIATIONS 19-0
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|Ayes:|Wesson, Strickland, |Ayes:|Migden, Bates, Alquist, |
| |Briggs, Calderon, | |Aroner, Cedillo, Corbett, |
| |Canciamilla, Cardenas, | |Correa, Daucher, |
| |Chavez, Firebaugh, | |Goldberg, Maldonado, |
| |Harman, Longville, | |Robert Pacheco, Papan, |
| |Maldonado, Reyes, | |Pavley, Simitian, |
| |Wiggins, Wright, Zettel | |Thomson, Wesson, Wiggins, |
| | | |Wright, Zettel |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Authorizes local public agencies to establish a 311
non-emergency telephone
system. Specifically this bill :
1)Finds that the 911 emergency response system is inundated by
calls from people calling to complain about non-emergency
situations, and that the availability of a 311 non-emergency
telephone number will reduce the number of calls to the 911
system, thus improving emergency response times.
2)Authorizes local public agencies to establish a non-emergency
telephone system.
3)Requires the Division of Telecommunications (DOT), within the
Department of General Services (DGS), to aid local public
agencies in the formulation of concepts, methods, and
procedures that will improve the operation of 311 systems.
4)Requires the establishment of technical and operational
standards for the development of the 311 system, with the
input of local agencies (subject to review by DOT) by January
1, 2003. Allows counties to initiate a 311 non-emergency
telephone system on behalf of their local agencies. Requires
DOT to continually review and update technical and operational
standards for public agency 311systems.
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5)Requires DOT to review, monitor and approve submitted 311
system plans, as specified.
6)Authorizes the Attorney General to enforce compliance issues
as they relate to this bill.
7)Requires DOT to notify each county in the state of the
availability of the 311 non-emergency telephone system by
February 1, 2002.
8)Increases the surcharge for intrastate telephone communication
services by not more than 1/2 of 1% to fund the State
Non-emergency Telephone System. Maintains that the rate
increase applies only to those jurisdictions whose application
for a 311 non-emergency telephone system is filed with DOT.
9)Requires the DGS to determine annually a surcharge rate that
it estimates would be needed to fund the current fiscal year's
311 costs for all participating local public agencies, as
specified. Allows for a surcharge increase of not more than
1/2 of 1% to be applied uniformly to local public agencies
that elect to participate in a 311 non-emergency telephone
system.
10)Creates the State Non-emergency Telephone Number Account in
the General Fund for deposit of funds appropriated in this
bill.
EXISTING LAW:
1) Establishes 911 as the primary emergency telephone
emergency telephone number in the state and requires local
and state public safety agencies to participate in the
emergency telephone system. The system is financed by a
surcharge imposed upon all residential and business
telephone bills, and caps the surcharge at .75% of a
customer's phone bill.
2) Requires state and local agencies to maintain a
secondary number for non-emergency telephone calls.
FISCAL EFFECT :
1)Estimated special fund surcharge costs of about $600,000 in
the first year and about $900,000 thereafter for DGS to
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establish and administer the program.
2)The Board of Equalization (BOE) would incur ongoing costs of
at least $250,000 to administer collection of the surcharge.
3)Costs to provide the 311 service would depend on the number of
local communities that elect to establish the service, but
could be tens of millions of dollars annually, which would be
covered by the surcharge on telephone users.
COMMENTS : In 1997, the Legislature passed and the Governor
signed AB 1198 (Hertzberg), Chapter 887, Statutes of 1997, which
established a pilot program that evaluated two different
approaches to reducing the number of non-emergency calls: 1)
The use of 311 as a means of reaching local public safety
agencies for non-emergency assistance; and, 2) The improved
marketing, use of, and access to existing non-emergency
telephone numbers for non-emergency assistance. According to
the required pilot project report, the 311 approach to reducing
non-emergency calls resulted in a 63% reduction in non-emergency
calls to 911 systems.
In 2000, the Legislature passed, but the Governor vetoed AB 2837
(Hertzberg) a bill substantially similar to this bill. The
Governor's veto message stated, in part, the following: "While
the concept for a separate non-emergency telephone system is a
good one, the potential costs for this program are unknown at
this time. Without pilot projects to provide the data necessary
to estimate costs for this program, it would be premature to
approve this measure. Use of specific numbering resources falls
primarily within the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s
jurisdiction. The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC)
manages California's valuable numbering resources in compliance
with those federal rules and is currently coordinating with the
FCC to implement 211 and 511, respectively, for other uses. I
am directing the PUC to look at the provisions of "311" services
in concert with their existing 211 and 511 proceedings."
According to the author, the current 911 emergency response
system is inundated by calls from people calling to complain
about non-emergency situations. Estimates of non-emergency
calls to the 911 system range from 70 to 90% of the total number
of calls. These calls delay the delivery of emergency services.
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The author believes that the availability of a 311
non-emergency telephone number will reduce the number of such
calls to the 911 system, and result in improved emergency
response times.
The author also argues that the implementation of the 311
non-emergency telephone system becomes even more urgent in light
of AB 1263 (Thomson), Chapter 981, Statutes of 2000, which
provides that cellular 911 calls may be routed to a public
safety answering point other than the California Highway Patrol
(CHP), suggesting even more overload.
BOE is opposed to increases of the emergency telephone users
surcharge to fund the proposed 311 system. BOE argues that
there are already several state taxes and surcharges imposed on
amounts paid for telephone service.
Analysis Prepared by : Jemahl ?men / G. O. / (916) 319-2047
FN: 0001420