HOUSE BILL REPORT

EHB 2823

BYRepresentatives Fraser, May, Nelson, Crane, Belcher, Phillips, Winsley and Scott

Providing for an enhanced 911 system.

House Committe on Energy & Utilities

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  (12)

      Signed by Representatives Nelson, Chair; H. Myers, Vice Chair; Hankins, Ranking Republican Member; Bennett, Brooks, Cooper, Jacobsen, Jesernig, May, R. Meyers, Miller and S. Wilson.

House Staff:Fred Adair (786-7113)

Rereferred House Committee on Appropriations

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended by Committee on Energy & Utilities.  (26)

      Signed by Representatives Locke, Chair; Grant, Vice Chair; Silver, Ranking Republican Member; Youngsman, Assistant Ranking Republican Member; Appelwick, Belcher, Bowman, Braddock, Brekke, Dorn, Doty, Ebersole, Hine, Inslee, May, McLean, Nealey, Padden, Peery, Rust, Sayan, Spanel, Sprenkle, Valle, Wang and Wineberry.

House Staff:      Susan Nakagawa (786-7145)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 12, 1990

BACKGROUND:

911 telephone systems are emergency communications systems intended to enable a caller to reach emergency response agencies (fire, police, medical, etc.) as soon as possible.  Dialing the three digits will connect the caller with a public safety answering point that will direct the call to the appropriate agency.  Enhanced 911 (E911) is an advancement that automatically displays the name, location, and phone number of the caller.  The advantage of E911 over 911 is that notification is made and the scene of distress is located even if the 911 caller is unable to utter a word after dialing.

Statewide implementation of 911 telephone systems, and especially E911 systems, would improve emergency response time and provide greater assurance that emergency resources would reach the scene of distress.

Work such as equipment purchase, addressing by other than post office box or rural route number in some rural areas, and programming computers must be done before E911 could be implemented statewide.  Some uncertainty has been expressed over the total cost and time required for statewide implementation of 911 and E911.

SUMMARY:

It is state policy to implement 911 and ultimately E911 telephone systems statewide.  The Department of Community Development shall study and determine what is necessary for statewide implementation of 911 and E911 systems.  Costs, methods of funding, and time required for implementation would be included in the study.  Forty-thousand dollars is appropriated from the general fund for the study.

Appropriation:    $40,000 from the general fund.

Fiscal Note:      Requested January 22, 1990.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    (Energy & Utilities)  Representative Karen Fraser, prime sponsor; Otto Jensen, State Fire Chiefs' Association; Ron Anderson a fire chief from Franklin County; Noel Myhre, Manager, 911 Systems, Pierce County and President, State Chapter, National Emergency Numbers Association; Frank Strasser, Spokane County Sheriff's Office; and Jack Doyle, Washington Independent Telephone Association.

(Appropriations)  No one.

House Committee - Testified Against:      (Energy & Utilities)  No one.

(Appropriations)  No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    (Energy & Utilities)  Today, emergency telephone systems are cumbersome and of limited effectiveness in some localities.  There should be enhanced 911 telephone systems statewide to ensure rapid connection from anywhere in the state to the appropriate responder to a distress situation and a reliable location of the scene of distress.

Some counties are unable to fund 911 or enhanced 911 telephone systems under the currently permitted 50 cents per month excise tax on telephone lines.  There are differences and uncertainties in cost estimates, preferred system arrangements, implementation processes, and funding mechanisms.

(Appropriations)  None.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      (Energy & Utilities)  None.

(Appropriations)  None.