Subject: [NEXTEL-1] E-911 Bill Clears Committee, Heads To Senate Floor

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2003 03:11:46 -0400

E-911 Bill Clears Committee, Heads To Senate Floor

Jul 23, 2003

Cash strapped states that are diverting - for other uses - funds earmarked for
upgrading 911 location detection technology for cellular phones are about to get a
serious wake- up call from Congress.

The Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday unanimously approved E-911 legislation
that, if enacted, would require states to use funds designated for emergency 911
improvements for no other purpose. The bill would bar states from diverting such
funds for other uses - a practice that has become increasingly widespread as
states cope with budget shortfalls and a sluggish economy. The bill now heads to
the Senate floor for a vote.

Sens. Conrad Burns (R- Mont.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D- N.Y.), co-chairs of
the Congressional E-911 Caucus, introduced the Enhanced 911 Emergency Act of 2003
in June. Thursday's action by the full committee sends the bill to the Senate
floor for debate.

"This is a huge win for us," Burns told reporters on the Hill immediately
following the committee's action. "It has been clear since Sept. 11, 2001, that
improving the overall safety of our country is something we need to do. We must
ensure that first responders have the ability to communicate in real time and get
their jobs done during an emergency, and our E-911 bill will help do just that. As
co-chair of the E-911 Caucus, this has been my priority, and I have been working
with my colleagues to make sure we accomplish these goals. I am happy to see this
bill come out of committee and get one step closer to final passage." Clinton said
the committee's approval of the bill marks "a great day not only for our first
responders, but for all Americans who expect assistance when they dial 911."

Committee approval of the bipartisan legislation means "we're one critical step
closer to increased coordination, more resources, and better leadership for our
public safety community," Clinton said. "For New York, this federal measure builds
on the work of [New York State] Assemblyman David Koon [D] and so many others who
worked to ensure 911 surcharge revenues go back into 911 infrastructure."

The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) has long been a strong supporter
of efforts by Burns and Clinton to advance the issues of E-911 and pass
legislation in the 108th Congress. The organization is largely responsible for
lobbying efforts that led to the creation of the E-911 Congressional Caucus and
the eventual creation of the legislation.

Provisions in the bill include:

Creation of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
Task Force : Requires the administrator of NTIA to establish an Emergency
Communications Task Force to facilitate coordination between federal, state, and
local communications systems.

Authorizes $500 million per year for grants to enhance emergency communications
services through planning, infrastructure improvements, equipment purchases, and
personnel training and acquisition. Fifty percent matching grants would be
available to state, local, and tribal governments.  Administered by the NTIA, the
grant program would require consultation with the US Department of Homeland
Security. Preference in grants would go to applications that coordinated with
PSAPs and integrated public and commercial services.

The FCC is required twice a year to review fees for enhancing 911 services. States
would be required to certify that no E-911 fees are being used for other
purposes.  The commission also is required to notify Congress of states that
divert E-911 funds, and the NTIA is required to withhold grant funds to states
that are found by the FCC to be diverting the money.
The Burns-Clinton bill follows closely in the wake of an FCC measure requiring
carriers to be more aggressive in reporting the progress they are making in
deploying E-911 location technology.

Beginning Aug. 1, the nation's Tier 1 carriers will have to file additional
documentation with the commission that will be used by the regulator to more
precisely track deployment progress. There are six Tier I carriers: AT&T Wireless
Services Inc.; Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless; Sprint Spectrum L.P.
d/b/a Sprint PCS; Cingular Wireless LLC; Nextel Communications Inc.  (including
Nextel Partners Inc.); and T-Mobile USA (formerly VoiceStream Wireless).

The FCC's wireless E-911 rules are meant to improve the effectiveness and
reliability of wireless 911 service by providing 911 dispatchers with additional
information about the location a wireless 911 caller. The program is divided into
Phase I and Phase II. As part of Phase I, upon an appropriate request by a local
Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), carriers are required to report the
telephone number of a wireless 911 caller and the location of the antenna that
received the call.

In Phase II, which the industry is only now entering, wireless carriers are
required to provide far more precise location information - within 50 to 100
meters in most cases, according to TeleCommunications Systems Inc. (TCS), a key
player in the E-911 location technology space. In fact, TCS is responsible for
about half of all the E-911 location technology systems currently in place.

Deployment of E-911 depends on development of new technologies and upgrades to
local 911 PSAPs, as well as coordination among public safety agencies, wireless
carriers, technology vendors, equipment manufacturers, and local wireline
carriers. The FCC's four-year rollout schedule for Phase II began Oct. 1, 2001,
and ends Dec. 31, 2005.

What The Bill Would Do

Provisions in the Burns-Clinton Enhanced 911 Emergency Act of 2003 include:
Creation of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
Task Force. This requires the administrator of NTIA to establish an Emergency
Communications Task Force to facilitate coordination between federal, state, and
local communications systems;

Authorization of $500 million per year for grants to enhance emergency
communications services through planning, infrastructure improvements, equipment
purchases, and personnel training and acquisition. Fifty percent matching grants
would be available to state, local, and tribal governments;

To be administered by the NTIA, the grant program would require consultation with
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Preference in grants would go to
applications that coordinated with PSAPs and integrated public and commercial
services;The FCC will be required twice a year to review fees for E-911 services.
States would be required to certify that no E-911 fees are being used for other
purposes;

The FCC will be required to notify Congress of states that divert E-911 funds and
the NTIA will be required to withhold grant funds to states that are found by the
FCC to be diverting E-911 funds.
Source: Enhanced 911 Emergency Act of 2003.

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