SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5806

               As Passed Senate, March 13, 1999

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 & Local Government:  2/22/99, 3/1/99 [DP].

Passed Senate, 3/13/99, 44-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Patterson, Chair; Gardner, Vice Chair; Hale, Haugen, Horn, Kline and McCaslin.

Staff:  Eugene Green (786-7405)

Background:  The Legislature finds that the citizens of the state increasingly rely on the dependability of enhanced 911, a system that allows the person answering an emergency call to determine the location of the emergency immediately without the caller needing to speak.  The Legislature further finds that the degree of accuracy is extremely important.

Summary of Bill:  It is clarified that the state Fire Protection Policy Board makes automatic location identification recommendations to the adjutant general.

The adjutant general must establish rules on minimum information requirements of automatic location identification for the purposes of enhanced 911 emergency service.  The rules must allow consideration of local circumstances when approving the accuracy of location information generated within a service area.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  Time is of the essence.  We need such a cooperative effort to achieve success, which means a saving of lives.  The adoption of rules is particularly important to schools, who cannot be assured that the telecommunications systems they are purchasing will be compliant without assistance of the local fire agencies.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Dick Casey, Military Department; Marlys Davis, King County E-911 Program; John Wilding, Pierce County E911; Chuck Duffy, Renton Fire.