HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 5806

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      State Government

Title:  An act relating to providing for the adjutant general to establish rules concerning the accuracy of location information derived from enhanced 911 telephone systems.

Brief Description:  Requiring the adjutant general to adopt rules relating to automatic location identification.

Sponsors:  Senators Haugen, Hochstatter, Horn and Rasmussen; by request of Military Department.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

State Government:  3/23/99, 3/30/99 [DP].

                 Brief Summary of Bill

$Authorizes the Adjutant General to adopt rules on minimum information requirements of automatic location identification for enhanced 911 emergency service.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives McMorris, Republican Co-Chair; Romero, Democratic Co-Chair; Campbell, Republican Vice Chair; Miloscia, Democratic Vice Chair; Dunshee; Haigh; Lambert and D. Schmidt.

Staff:  Steve Lundin (786-7127).

Background:

Each county alone, or in combination with other counties, must establish an enhanced 911 emergency communication system that uses an immediate display of a caller's identification and location.  The enhanced 911 emergency communication system is funded by county taxes imposed on each switch access line at a rate not to exceed 50 cents per month and on each radio access line in an amount not to exceed 50 cents per month.

The state also imposes a tax at a current rate of 10 cents per month for each switch access line.  Receipts from the state tax are used to help implement and operate an enhanced 911 system statewide, including the provision of temporary salary assistance for up to three years in any county, or group of counties, with a population of less than 75,000.

The State Enhanced 911 Coordination Office is created in the emergency management division of the military department to coordinate and facilitate the implementation and operation of an enhanced 911 emergency communication system throughout the state.

Some of the duties of the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development (DCTED) have been transferred to other agencies over the years.  Separate legislation was enacted in 1995 transferring DCTED's fire protection duties to the state patrol and transferring DCTED's emergency management duties to the military department.  One of the statutes relating to fire protection duties transferred to the military department retains a reference about recommendations being made to the director of DCTED on minimum information requirements for enhanced 911 emergency service automatic location identification.  However, these enhanced 911 emergency service responsibilities were transferred to the military department.

Summary of Bill:

The Adjutant General is authorized to adopt rules on minimum information requirements of automatic location identification for enhanced 911 emergency service.  The rules shall permit fire chiefs or other persons designated by counties or cities to take local circumstances into consideration when calls are made to 911 from facilities within their service areas.

A statute is corrected providing for the director of fire protection in the state patrol to make recommendations to the Adjutant General, rather than the director of DCTED, on minimum information requirements for enhanced 911 emergency service automatic location identification.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  This allows flexibility for local governments to consider the least cost alternatives.  This corrects a previous dual amendment.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Bob Oenning, Military Department.