BILL ANALYSIS
------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1263|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 445-6614 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1263
Author: Thomson (D)
Amended: 8/10/00 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE ENERGY, U.&C. COMMITTEE : 8-0, 6/27/00
AYES: Bowen, Alarcon, Kelley, Mountjoy, Murray, Peace,
Solis, Vasconcellos
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 5/20/99 (Passed on Consent) - See
last page for vote
SUBJECT : Telecommunications: "911" calls
SOURCE : Department of General Services
DIGEST : This bill permits cellular "911" calls to be
routed to a local public safety agency.
ANALYSIS : Current law requires all "911" emergency
telephone calls made from cellular telephones to be routed
to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) for emergency
response. Current law charges the Department of General
Services (DGS) with the responsibility for administering
the 911 system.
This bill applies to all wireless communications services,
including cellular telephone service and personal
communications service. It provides that "911" calls made
CONTINUED
AB 1263
Page
2
from wireless telephones may be routed to a public safety
agency other than the CHP if (1) the call originates from a
location other than from a highway or county road under CHP
jurisdiction; (2) it's economically and technically
feasible; (3) it will benefit public safety; and (4) if the
CHP, DGS, and the public safety agency, in consultation
with the wireless industry and producers of "911" selective
routing service, believe it will provide more efficient 911
service.
This bill also bars any charges for wireless telephone
calls to "911" and requires wireless "911" calls from
non-customers to be completed.
Background
The number of cellular "911" calls has exploded over the
past 15 years or so, jumping 7,000% between 1984 and 1997
when the CHP handled over three million cellular/wireless
"911" calls. Of these three million calls, about 30% had
to be transferred from the CHP to a different public safety
agency because the CHP didn't have jurisdiction over the
particular emergency (e.g. the emergency is occurring on a
city street, not a freeway).
When cellular telephone service was introduced in 1984, all
cellular "911" calls were routed through the CHP because at
that time, the vast majority of cellular calls came from
freeways, over which the CHP has jurisdiction.
Furthermore, in 1984, the technological limitations made it
impossible to locate the origin of a cellular "911" call.
Technology has improved to get a better, though by no means
precise, fix on the origin of wireless calls. This feature
permits the wireless network to determine whether a call is
more likely to come from a freeway or from a city or
unincorporated area. If the public safety jurisdiction
serving the wireless call can be predetermined, then the
wireless "911" call can be routed directly to the public
safety entity most likely to respond, rather than having to
first be routed to the CHP and then be forwarded to the
appropriate public safety agency. This would relieve the
CHP from having to handle calls outside of its jurisdiction
and lead to a quicker, more accurate emergency response.
AB 1263
Page
3
This bill permits a public safety agency other than the CHP
to directly receive the wireless "911" call if it's
technologically feasible to do so, if it benefits public
safety, if the call originates from outside the CHP's
jurisdiction, and if the CHP, DGS, and the public safety
agency agree.
Comments
Pinpointing the call . The ability to pinpoint the location
or origin of a wireless telephone call is imprecise and
limited. Federal rules encourage such capabilities, but
progress has been hampered by disputes within the wireless
industry on a standard "location technology."
Still, in some circumstances, public safety authorities can
be positive that a wireless call has originated from a
jurisdiction other than the CHP because of the location of
the receiving antenna and the directionality of the
caller's signal.
This bill provides in those instances, the call can be
routed directly to the local law enforcement agency without
first having to go through the CHP.
Liability . Federal legislation passed in October 1999
limited the liability of all wireless carriers for "911"
calls, thereby eliminating liability as an issue as it
relates to this bill.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/11/00)
Department of General Services (source)
California State Automobile Association
GTE California Incorporated
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Aanestad, Ackerman, Alquist, Aroner, Ashburn,
Baldwin, Bates, Battin, Baugh, Bock, Brewer, Briggs,
AB 1263
Page
4
Calderon, Cardenas, Cardoza, Corbett, Correa, Cox,
Cunneen, Davis, Dickerson, Ducheny, Dutra, Florez, Floyd,
Frusetta, Gallegos, Granlund, Havice, Hertzberg, Honda,
House, Jackson, Kaloogian, Keeley, Knox, Kuehl, Leach,
Lempert, Leonard, Longville, Lowenthal, Machado, Maddox,
Maldonado, Margett, Mazzoni, McClintock, Migden, Nakano,
Olberg, Oller, Robert Pacheco, Rod Pacheco, Papan,
Pescetti, Reyes, Romero, Runner, Scott, Shelley, Soto,
Steinberg, Strickland, Strom-Martin, Thompson, Thomson,
Torlakson, Washington, Wayne, Wesson, Wiggins, Wildman,
Wright, Zettel, Villaraigosa
NC:sl 8/14/00 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
**** END ****