BILL ANALYSIS
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 983
Author: Bowen (D)
Amended: 4/5/99
Vote: 21
SENATE ENERGY, U. & C. COMMITTEE : 9-0, 4/13/99
AYES: Bowen, Baca, Brulte, Hughes, Kelley, Mountjoy,
Solis, Speier, Vasconcellos
NOT VOTING: Alarcon, Peace
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Telecommunications: commercial mobile radio
service
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill updates the law relating to commercial
mobile radio service to reflect current terminology and
federal law.
ANALYSIS : 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.
CONTINUED
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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. This 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
The Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 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.
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
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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.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
NC:cm 5/10/99 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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