BILL ANALYSIS
SB 911
Page 1
Date of Hearing: June 30, 2003
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON UTILITIES AND COMMERCE
Sarah Reyes, Chair
SB 911 (Alpert) - As Amended: June 26, 2003
SENATE VOTE : 30-3
SUBJECT : Local emergency telephone systems: 911 Administrative
Board.
SUMMARY : This bill creates in state government, the State 911
Advisory Board to advise the Telecommunications Division of the
Department of General Services, comprised of specified members
appointed by the Governor. Specifically, this bill :
1)Establishes a 11 member State 911 Advisory Board appointed by
the Governor and comprised of the following:
2)The Chief of the 911 Emergency Communications Office (to serve
as a nonvoting Chair of the board)
3)One representative from the California Highway Patrol
4)Two representatives from the California Police Chief's
Association
5)Two representatives from the California Sheriff's Association
6)Two representatives from the California Fire Chief's
Association
7)Two representatives from the California Chapter of the
National Emergency Number Association Executive Board
8)One representative on the joint recommendation of the
Executive Board of the California Chapters of the Association
of Public Safety Communication Officials-International, Inc.
9)Specifies that recommending authorities shall give great
weight and consideration to knowledge, training, and expertise
of the appointee with respect to their experience within
California's 911 system. Board members should have at least
two years of experience as a Public Safety Answering Point
(PSAP) manager or county coordinator, except where a specific
SB 911
Page 2
person is designated as a member.
10)Requires each member of the committee to serve a two-year
term, except as follows:
11)The presiding chief of the California 911 Emergency
Communications Office shall serve for the duration of his or
her term.
12)Four of the remaining members shall serve an initial term of
three years and board members shall not receive compensation
for their service on the board, but may be reimbursed for
travel and per diem for time spent in attending meetings of
the board.
13)Requires the board to meet quarterly in public sessions in
accordance with the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act. The
Telecommunications Division shall provide administrative
support to the board. The board, at its first meeting, shall
adopt bylaws and operating procedures consistent with this
article and establish committees as necessary.
14)Requires the board to advise the Telecommunications Division
of the Department of General Services on all of the following
subjects:
15)Policies, practices, and procedures for the California 911
Emergency Communications Office.
16)Technical and operational standards for the California 911
system consistent with the National Emergency Number
Association (NENA) standards.
17)Training standards for county coordinators and PSAP managers.
18)Budget, funding, and reimbursement decisions related to the
State Emergency Number Account.
19)Proposed projects and studies conducted or funded by the
State Emergency Number Account.
20)Expediting the rollout of Enhanced 911 Phase II technology.
21)Specifies that upon request of a local public agency, the
board is to conduct a hearing on any conflict between a local
SB 911
Page 3
public agency and the Telecommunications Division regarding a
final plan that has not been approved by the
Telecommunications Division pursuant to Section 53114 of the
Government Code. The board shall meet within 30 days
following the request, and shall make a recommendation to
resolve the conflict to the Telecommunications Division within
90 days following the initial hearing by the board pursuant to
the request.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the Warren 911 Emergency Services Act to be
administered by the Department of General Services for the
purpose of developing a network of public safety answering
points to respond to 911 emergency assistance calls.
2)Establishes the Emergency Telephone Users Surcharge Act to
fund the development and maintenance of the public safety
answering points through a surcharge on all intrastate phone
numbers issued by the California Public Utilities Commission.
3)Specifies that the Department of General Services has
administrative responsibility over the range of the surcharge,
subject to the approval by the Board of Equalization, as well
as reimbursements for expenditures submitted by PSAPs and
telephone carriers. DGS is required to annually report to the
Board of Equalization on what the surcharge should be set at
to fund future year obligations.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown.
COMMENTS :
Brief history of state involvement in 911 system. Since its
inception in the mid-1970's, DGS's Telecommunications Division
(DGS-TD) has administered the state's 911 program. This
includes evaluating local 911 systems, reviewing, approving, and
reimbursing local public safety agencies for the necessary and
reasonable costs associated with the planning, implementation,
and maintenance of a state-approved 911 system.
The state 911 program is funded through a surcharge on telephone
service. That surcharge is statutorily capped at 0.75% of a
customer's phone bill, but right now is set at 0.72% by DGS-TD
and hasn't been increased since 1995. The surcharge raises
SB 911
Page 4
about $130 million annually, with about half of the money going
to pay for database services, where the incoming 911 call is
identified with a telephone number and street address. One
quarter goes to pay for carrying the telephone call, and one
quarter pays for the telephones and computers housed in the
public safety dispatch centers.
As cellular telephone location information becomes available,
the 911 system will need to be upgraded. The California Highway
Patrol (CHP) is the first responder for most all cellular 911
calls. Funds have been reserved to pay for the CHP upgrades.
The purpose of the bill is to establish a state 911 Advisory
Board appointed by the Governor and composed of practitioners.
The 911 Advisory Board is authorized to advise the
Telecommunications Division of the Department of General
Services on the following:
1)Policies, practices, and procedures;
2)Technical and operational standards for the 911 system
consistent with National Emergency Number Association
standards;
3)Training standards for county coordinators and Public Safety
Answering Point managers;
4)Budget, funding, and reimbursement decisions related to the
State Emergency Number Account;
5)Expediting the development of Phase II technology for Enhanced
911.
The Advisory Board is required to hold a hearing on any conflict
between a local public agency and the Telecommunications
Division regarding approval of final plans. The board will be
required to meet within 30 days following the request, and shall
make recommendations to resolve the conflict to the
Telecommunications Division within 90 days following the initial
hearing. The supporters believe that a the non-binding appeals
process is necessary as a result of the Telecommunication
Division not paying for an adequate number of 911 stations,
inflexibility of the Telecommunication Division to understand
the needs of PSAP's, and no process for PSAP's to provide input
in the process.
SB 911
Page 5
While it is natural that some disagreements exist between local
PSAP's and the Telecommunication Division over adequate funding
levels the main issue regarding whether local PSAP's have a
voice in the process and provide meaningful input is something
that needs to be resolved. Having an appointed board selected
by practitioners will likely ease some of the tensions that have
existed with the current board structure. The current board was
created under the former director of the Department of General
Services and the board makeup was not voted on by any 911-user
association but instead was determined through an application
that was sent out by the Telecommunication Division to PSAP's.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California State Sheriffs' Association
California Police Chiefs Association
California State Association of Counties
California Fire Chiefs Association
California Fire Districts Association
City of San Diego
League of California Cities
City of Corona Fire Department
City of Big Bear Community Services District
Gary Penrod, Sheriff, San Bernardino County
Edward Bonner, Sheriff-Coronor-Marshal, Placer County
Arroyo Grande Fire Department
San Bernardino City Fire Department
Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs Association
California Chapter of the National Emergency Number Assoc.
California Emergency Services Advisory Board
Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials -
International, Inc.
Orange County Fire Department
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Daniel Kim / U. & C. / (916) 319-2083