BILL ANALYSIS 1
1
SENATE ENERGY, UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
DEBRA BOWEN, CHAIRWOMAN
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|SB 983 - Bowen |Hearing Date:April 13, | S|
| |1999 | |
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|As Amended:April 5, 1999 | | B|
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DESCRIPTION
Current law requires cellular telephone companies to follow
specific procedures in the provision of emergency 911
service.
This bill updates current law by substituting the term
"commercial mobile radio service" for "cellular telephone
companies." This bill also mirrors a federal requirement
that all commercial mobile radio service providers transmit
all 911 calls without requiring user validation.
BACKGROUND
Current law requires cellular telephone companies to use
911 as the primary number for accessing emergency service
and all cellular 911 calls are required to be routed to the
California Highway Patrol (CHP). Subsequent to the
enactment of these statutes, a new form of wireless
telephone service was created. This new service, known as
Personal Communications Service (PCS), is functionally
identical to cellular telephone service. The distinction
between cellular and PCS service is a technical one,
resting on the different radio frequencies used by the
respective services, and both cellular and PCS service are
identically, and lightly, regulated. Cellular and PCS
services are known collectively as "commercial mobile radio
service" and this bill updates current law by using this
more current terminology.
The bill also contains a provision requiring commercial
mobile radio service providers to transmit 911 calls
without prior validation of the call. This provision,
which is identical to federal regulation, results from a
concern that if a wireless telephone customer is "roaming"
outside her service territory, the process of validating
the customer could delay the 911 response, or even deny the
customer the ability to complete the 911 call.
COMMENTS
1)The committee held an informational hearing focusing on
the issue of wireless 911 service in March, noting that
wireless 911 service does not work as well as traditional
911 land-based service. Among the issues discussed
during the hearing were the fact that answer times for
wireless 911 calls can be significantly longer and,
unlike traditional 911 service, the caller's location and
telephone number aren't automatically provided. The
hearing explored potential solutions to these problems,
which may include long-term technological upgrades to
wireless telephone networks, increasing compensation for
wireless 911 dispatchers, and improvements in call queue
handling.
2)Discussions with the wireless industry, public safety
representatives, and the administration will be held over
the next few months regarding how best to improve the
performance of the wireless 911 system. A report on a
Los Angeles trial of new wireless 911 technology is also
due out shortly and the author intends to use this bill
as the vehicle for any recommended statutory changes
necessary to improve wireless 911 response.
POSITIONS
Support:
None reported to Committee.
Oppose:
None reported to Committee.
Randy Chinn
SB 983 Analysis
Hearing Date: April 13, 1999