BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                                   1
               1





             SENATE ENERGY, UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
                            DEBRA BOWEN, CHAIRWOMAN
          

          SB 1311 -  Kuehl                                  Hearing  
          Date:  April 9, 2002                 S
          As Introduced:  January 23, 2002             Non-FISCAL      
            B

                                                                       
            1
                                                                       
            3
                                                                       
            1
                                                                       
            1

                                   DESCRIPTION
           
           Current federal rules  permit cellular telephone companies  
          to voluntarily offer priority access to cellular telephone  
          service for national security and emergency preparedness  
          personnel.

           This bill  permits cellular telephone companies to enter  
          into contracts with public safety agencies to give those  
          agencies priority cellular telephone service.

                                    BACKGROUND
           
          The September 11, 2001, tragedy highlighted a flaw in the  
          public safety agency communications capabilities.  That  
          flaw is public safety radio systems aren't always  
          compatible with each other.  Fire departments can't always  
          talk to police departments who can't always talk to federal  
          or state disaster response agencies.  

          One common communication system that doesn't have the flaw  
          associated with the public safety radio system is the  
          cellular telephone, which allows for interagency  
          communication, private communication, and communication  
          with the rest of the world.  All of these features make use  
          of the cellphone attractive as a supplement to the current  











               proprietary radio systems used by public safety agencies.   
               However, in an emergency, the cellular telephone system is  
               often taxed to its limit and in such cases, the first  
               caller lucky enough to get a connection after the last  
               caller hangs up gets to make the next call.

               The National Communications System (NCS), a unit of the  
               federal government, has been working to implement a  
               "cellular priority access" system since 1995. The Federal  
               Communications Commission (FCC) must also agree to allow  
               cellular carriers to offer priority access service.  In  
               July 2000, the FCC permitted cellular carriers to offer  
               priority access service to specified public safety  
               personnel.  The FCC rules provide for the Executive Office  
               of the President, acting through NCS, to administer the  
               priority access system, including creating or revising  
               regulations regarding operation and use.  

               VoiceStream, a large cellular provider not yet doing  
               business in California, is slated to pilot a program for  
               public safety priority access in New York city and  
               Washington, D.C. in May.  Under this program, cellphones  
               with priority access will be queued up for the next  
               available wireless circuit.  The NCS believes wireless  
               priority access should be available much more broadly by  
               the end of this year.

               According to NCS, about 60,000 people or agencies have  
               priority access to the landline telephone network.

                                          COMMENTS
                
                Voluntary agreements  .  This bill authorizes voluntary  
               agreements between cellular carriers and public safety  
               agencies.  Given the constant threat of disaster in  
               California, either man made or natural, and that wireless  
               priority access will enhance the ability of public safety  
               agencies to respond,  the author and committee may wish to  
               consider  further encouraging these types of agreements to  
               move forward.

                                         POSITIONS
                
                Sponsor:










           
          California State Firefighters' Association

           Support:
           
          Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs
          Los Angeles Police Protection League
          Riverside Sheriffs' Association

           Oppose:
           
          Verizon Wireless








          






          Randy Chinn 
          SB 1311 Analysis
          Hearing Date:  April 9, 2002