Media Contact: 
Tina Pelkey, (202) 418-0536
tina.pelkey@fcc.gov

For Immediate Release 

CHAIRMAN PAI ANNOUNCES ACTION TO HELP AMERICANS REACH 911 AND BE QUICKLY LOCATED BY FIRST RESPONDERS
Action Fulfills Congressional Mandates Under Kari’s Law Act and RAY BAUM’S Act – 

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2019—Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the Commission will vote at its August meeting on rules to help ensure that people who call 911 from multi-line telephone systems—which commonly serve hotels, office buildings, and college campuses—can reach 911 and be quickly located by first responders.  The Chairman has circulated draft rules that would implement two recently enacted laws to improve emergency calling, the Kari’s Law Act of 2017 and RAY BAUM’S Act of 2018, and extend 911 location requirements to additional calling platforms. 

“For more than five years, I have had the privilege of working alongside Hank Hunt as he told the story of his daughter Kari and advocated tirelessly for changes to 911 dialing so that other families do not have to endure a similar tragedy,” said Chairman Pai.  “His efforts led to the adoption of Kari’s Law.  In a few weeks, the Commission will have the opportunity to implement this and other legislation that will help people reach 911 without dialing an access code and be quickly located by first responders, regardless of the technology platform used to call for help.  I hope that my fellow commissioners will join me in supporting this potentially life-saving action.”

Background:  

· Kari’s Law Act:  Kari’s Law requires multi-line telephone systems to enable users to dial 911 directly, without having to dial a prefix (such as a “9”) to reach an outside line.  It also requires multi-line telephone systems to provide notification, such as to a front desk or security office, when a 911 call is made in order to facilitate building entry by first responders.  Kari’s Law is named in honor of Kari Hunt, who was attacked and killed by her estranged husband in a motel room in Marshall, Texas in 2013.  Ms. Hunt’s 9-year-old daughter tried to call 911 for help four times from the motel room phone, but the call never went through because the hotel’s phone system required dialing “9” for an outbound line before dialing 911.  

· RAY BAUM’S Act:  Section 506 of RAY BAUM’S Act requires the Commission to consider adopting rules to ensure that “dispatchable location” information (that is, the caller’s street address and other specifics, such as floor level or suite number) is conveyed with 911 calls, regardless of the technological platform used, so that first responders can be quickly dispatched to the caller’s location.  

· Draft Order: If adopted at the August meeting, the new rules would provide clarity and specificity to these statutory requirements so that companies can effectively meet their obligations under Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’s Act.  The new rules would also establish dispatchable location requirements for 911 calls from multi-line telephone systems, fixed telephone service, interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, and Telecommunications Relay Service.

###

Office of Media Relations: (202) 418-0500
ASL Videophone: 1-844-432-2275
TTY: (888) 835-5322
Twitter: @FCC
www.fcc.gov/office-media-relations

This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).