SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5089

              As Passed Senate, February 8, 1995

Title:  An act relating to 911 compatibility with private telecommunications systems and private shared telecommunications services.

Brief Description:  Requiring 911 compatibility of private telecommunications systems and private shared telecommunications services.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Energy, Telecommunications & Utilities (originally sponsored by Senators Loveland, Finkbeiner and Sutherland).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Energy, Telecommunications & Utilities:  1/19/95, 1/24/95 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 2/8/95, 48-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY, TELECOMMUNICATIONS & UTILITIES

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5089 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass. 

  Signed by Senators Sutherland, Chair; Loveland, Vice Chair; Finkbeiner, Hochstatter and Owen.

Staff:  Diane Smith (786-7410)

Background:  Private telecommunications systems are customer-owned systems that typically serve extensions in building complexes, campuses, or high-rise buildings, allowing callers within the building or campus to talk to each other without dialing into the public switched network.  All outside calls are made to the public network by a single connection usually in a room within the building or campus.    

Enhanced 911 emergency calling services enable the caller's number and location to be transmitted automatically to the 911 operator.  However, in many cases, when a 911 call is made from a telephone which is part of a private telecommunications system, the 911 operator receives only the line identification for a central location, not the location of the individual caller.  This can cause problems for an emergency response team trying to find the correct address, because the caller's location may be different than that received by the 911 operator.

Local government efforts to address this problem have led to inconsistent technical standards for systems in different jurisdictions.    

Summary of Bill:  By January 1, 1996, owners of a private telecommunications system serving residential customers and school districts must ensure that the system is connected to the public-switched network.  This must be done in such a way that calls to 911 result in automatic location identification for each telephone, in a manner compatible with county E-911 systems. 

Providers of private shared telecommunications services to multiple business users from a single system must be similarly connected, provided the businesses served contain a physical area of more than 25,000 square feet, are located on more than one floor of a building, or are located in multiple buildings.

Local regulations mandating automatic number or location identification are preempted.

The state enhanced 911 coordination office and advisory committee may participate in efforts to set uniform national standards for automatic number identification and automatic location identification, and must report its progress to the Legislature by January 1, 1996.

The Department of Labor and Industries is required to adopt rules requiring owners of private telecommunications systems to advise business and common and public school users in the procedures necessary to access 911 services.

The State Fire Protection Policy Board must recommend to the Director of the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development rules on the minimum information requirements of automatic location identification.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 16, 1995.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This is compromise bill with no known expressed opposition.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Barbara Mertens, WASA; Mark Greenberg, Tracer; Marlys Davis, King County E-911 Program; Victoria Lincoln, AWC.

House Amendment(s):  The Department of Labor and Industries' authority to adopt rules is deleted.  The deadline for private telecommunications systems to be connected to the public switched network is extended one year, to January 1, 1997.  The enhanced 911 advisory committee is given one more year before it must report to the Legislature.