Brief Description: Requesting Congress to develop Emergency 911 standards for Voice Over Internet Protocol service.

Sponsors: Representatives Hudgins, Morris, Anderson, Chase, Upthegrove and B. Sullivan.

Brief History:

Technology, Energy & Communications: 1/27/05, 2/3/05 [DPS].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TECHNOLOGY, ENERGY & COMMUNICATIONS

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 11 members: Representatives Morris, Chair; Kilmer, Vice Chair; Crouse, Ranking Minority Member; Haler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Ericks, Hudgins, Nixon, P. Sullivan, Sump, Takko and Wallace.

Staff: Kara Durbin (786-7133).

Background:

911 Service:

In a location where a 911 system is available, a person can contact emergency assistance by dialing "911." Under basic 911, the caller must identify his or her location to the emergency system personnel. Under Enhanced 911, also known as E-911, the caller's phone number and location are automatically displayed at the public safety answering point.

Voice over Internet Protocol:

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a type of technology that manages the delivery of voice information using the Internet Protocol. In general, VoIP is accomplished by sending voice information in digital form in discrete packets rather than in the traditional circuit-committed protocols of the public switched telephone network.

Currently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that wireless carriers must implement Enhanced 911 services. The FCC does not require service providers of VoIP to provide Enhanced 911 VoIP service.

Summary of Substitute Bill:

The Legislature requests that Congress, the President, and the Federal Communications Commission consider developing national Enhanced 911 standards for VoIP to address the public safety needs of our state and other states and to enable public safety officers to respond quickly in the event of an emergency.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

The substitute makes a technical change to the original bill, replacing "Emergency 911" with "Enhanced 911."

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Testimony For: VoIP calls to the emergency network pose a public safety concern. Emergency calls made over VoIP do not run over the dedicated network and are given lower priority. These calls may not even go to the correct dispatch center. In addition, VoIP calls do not provide the address or call-back number to the dispatcher. These issues need to be addressed at the federal level because the states have difficulty regulating in this area. Furthermore, there needs to be funding at the federal level to develop the technology for E-911 and VoIP. Currently, Washington State is having to use the E-911 taxes generated from wireline and wireless services to address the issue of E-911/VoIP functionality.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Hudgins, prime sponsor; Bob Oenning, Military Department E911 Program; and Marlys Davis, King County E911 Program.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.