As used in this chapter:

(1) "911 emergency communications system" means a public 911 communications system consisting of a network, database, and on-premises equipment that is accessed by dialing or accessing 911 and that enables reporting police, fire, medical, or other emergency situations to a public safety answering point. The system includes the capability to selectively route incoming 911 voice and data to the appropriate public safety answering point that operates in a defined 911 service area and the capability to automatically display the name, address, and telephone number of incoming 911 voice and data at the appropriate public safety answering point.

(2) "Consumer" means a person who purchases a prepaid wireless telecommunications service in a retail transaction.

(3) "Emergency services communication system" means a multicounty or countywide communications network, including an enhanced or next generation 911 emergency communications system, which provides rapid public access for coordinated dispatching of services, personnel, equipment, and facilities for police, fire, medical, or other emergency services.

(4) " Enhanced 911 emergency communications system" means a public communications system consisting of a network, database, and on-premises equipment that is accessed by dialing or accessing 911 and that enables reporting police, fire, medical, or other emergency situations to a public safety answering point. The system includes the capability to selectively route incoming 911 voice or data to the appropriate public safety answering point that operates in a defined 911 service area and the capability to automatically display the name, address, and telephone number of incoming 911 voice or data at the appropriate public safety answering point. " Enhanced 911 emergency communications system" includes the modernization to next generation 911 systems.

(5) "Interconnected voice over internet protocol service" has the same meaning as provided by the federal communications commission in 47 C.F.R. Sec. 9.3 on January 1, 2009, or a subsequent date determined by the department.

(6) "Interconnected voice over internet protocol service line" means an interconnected voice over internet protocol service that offers an active telephone number or successor dialing protocol assigned by a voice over internet protocol provider to a voice over internet protocol service customer that has inbound and outbound calling capability, which can directly access a public safety answering point when such a voice over internet protocol service customer has a place of primary use in the state.

(7) "Local exchange company" has the meaning ascribed to it in RCW 80.04.010.

(8) "Next generation 911 emergency communications system" means a public communications system consisting of networks, databases, and public safety answering point 911 hardware, software, and technology that is accessed by the public in the state through 911. The system includes the capability to: Route incoming 911 voice and data to the appropriate public safety answering point that operates in a defined 911 service area; answer incoming 911 voice and data; and receive and display incoming 911 voice and data, including automatic location identification and automatic number identification, at a public safety answering point. "Next generation 911 emergency communications system" includes future modernizations to the 911 system.

(9) "Place of primary use" means the street address representative of where the subscriber's use of the radio access line or interconnected voice over internet protocol service line occurs, which must be:

(a) The residential street address or primary business street address of the subscriber; and

(b) In the case of radio access lines, within the licensed service area of the home service provider.

(10) "Prepaid wireless telecommunications service" means a telecommunications service that provides the right to use mobile wireless service as well as other nontelecommunications services including the download of digital products delivered electronically, content, and ancillary services, which must be paid for in full in advance and sold in predetermined units or dollars of which the number declines with use in a known amount.

(11) "Private telecommunications system" has the meaning ascribed to it in RCW 80.04.010.

(12) "Radio access line" means the telephone number assigned to or used by a subscriber for two-way local wireless voice service available to the public for hire from a radio communications service company. Radio access lines include, but are not limited to, radio-telephone communications lines used in cellular telephone service, personal communications services, and network radio access lines, or their functional and competitive equivalent. Radio access lines do not include lines that provide access to one-way signaling service, such as paging service, or to communications channels suitable only for data transmission, or to nonlocal radio access line service, such as wireless roaming service, or to a private telecommunications system.

(13) "Radio communications service company" means every corporation, company, association, joint stock, partnership, and person, their lessees, trustees, or receivers appointed by any court, and every city or town making available facilities to provide commercial mobile radio services, as defined by 47 U.S.C. Sec. 332(d)(1), or cellular communications services for hire, sale, and both facilities-based and nonfacilities-based resellers, and does not include radio paging providers.

(14) "Retail transaction" means the purchase of prepaid wireless telecommunications service from a seller for any purpose other than resale.

(15) "Seller" means a person who sells prepaid wireless telecommunications service to another person.

(16) "Subscriber" means the retail purchaser of telecommunications service, a competitive telephone service, or interconnected voice over internet protocol service. "Subscriber" does not include a consumer, as defined in this section.

(17) "Switched access line" means the telephone service line which connects a subscriber's main telephone(s) or equivalent main telephone(s) to the local exchange company's switching office.

Modernization of statewide 911 emergency communications system—2022 c 203: See note following RCW 38.52.010.

Findings—Intent—Effective dates—2013 2nd sp.s. c 8: See notes following RCW 82.14B.040.

Effective dates—2010 1st sp.s. c 19: See note following RCW 82.14B.010.

Severability—2007 c 54: See note following RCW 82.04.050.

Part headings not law—Savings—Effective date—Severability—2007 c 6: See notes following RCW 82.32.020.

Findings—Intent—2007 c 6: See note following RCW 82.14.390.

Severability—Effective date—2002 c 341: See notes following RCW 38.52.501.

Findings—1998 c 304: "The legislature finds that:

(1) The state enhanced 911 excise tax imposed at the current rate of twenty cents per switched access line per month generates adequate tax revenues to enhance the 911 telephone system for switched access lines statewide by December 31, 1998, as mandated in RCW 38.52.510;

(2) The tax revenues generated from the state enhanced 911 excise tax when the tax rate decreases to a maximum of ten cents per switched access line on January 1, 1999, will not be adequate to fund the long-term operation and equipment replacement costs for the enhanced 911 telephone systems in the counties or multicounty regions that receive financial assistance from the state enhanced 911 office;

(3) Some counties or multicounty regions will need financial assistance from the state enhanced 911 office to implement and maintain enhanced 911 because the tax revenue generated from the county enhanced 911 excise tax is not adequate;

(4) Counties with populations of less than seventy-five thousand will need salary assistance to create multicounty regions and counties with populations of seventy-five thousand or more, if requested by smaller counties, will need technical assistance and incentives to provide multicounty services; and

(5) Counties should not request state financial assistance for implementation and maintenance of enhanced 911 for switched access lines unless the county has imposed the maximum enhanced 911 tax authorized in RCW 82.14B.030." [ 1998 c 304 s 1.]

Effective dates—1998 c 304: "This act takes effect January 1, 1999, except section 14 of this act which takes effect July 1, 1998." [ 1998 c 304 s 15.]

Finding—Intent—1994 c 96: "(1) The legislature finds that:

(a) Emergency services communication systems, including enhanced 911 telephone systems, are currently funded with revenues from state and local excise taxes imposed on the use of switched access lines;

(b) Users of cellular communication systems and other similar wireless telecommunications systems do not use switched access lines and are not currently subject to these excise taxes; and

(c) The volume of 911 calls by users of cellular communications systems and other similar wireless telecommunications systems has increased in recent years.

(2) The intent of this act is to acknowledge the recommendations regarding 911 emergency communication system funding as detailed in the report to the legislature dated November 1993, entitled "Taxation of Cellular Communications in Washington State," to authorize imposition and collection of the twenty-five cent county tax discussed in chapter 6 of that report, and to require the department of revenue to continue the *study of such funding as detailed in the report." [ 1994 c 96 s 1.]

*Reviser's note: See 1992 c 218 and 1994 c 96 s 6.

Effective dates—1994 c 96: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately [March 23, 1994], except section 5 of this act shall take effect January 1, 1995." [ 1994 c 96 s 8.]

Referral to electorate—1991 c 54: See note following RCW 38.52.030.