Federal Communications Commission	FCC 19-76


STATEMENT OF
CHAIRMAN AJIT PAI
Re: 	Implementing Kari’s Law and Section 506 of RAY BAUM’S Act, PS Docket No. 18-261; 911 Access, Routing, and Location in Enterprise Communications Systems, PS Docket No. 17-239; Wireless E911 Location Accuracy Requirements, GN Docket No. 11-117.

One man with courage makes a majority.  There’s a dispute about whether that old saying originated with Andrew Jackson.  But today, there should be no dispute that Hank Hunt embodies the truth of this aphorism.

Over five years ago, Hank’s daughter Kari was murdered by her estranged husband in a Marshall, Texas hotel room.  Her then-nine-year old daughter tried to call 911 four times, as she had been taught to do.  But her calls for help never went through because the hotel’s phone system required guests to dial 9 before calling 911.

No one would have blamed Hank had he dealt with his grief privately and then tried to find a way to move on from this tragedy.  As a father, I can’t imagine how the days and months following Kari’s death must have been for him.  But Hank wasn’t finished.  Instead, he launched a nationwide movement for change.  He demanded that action be taken to solve the problem that led to his daughter’s death.

What began with one man in East Texas soon became a nationwide movement.  And that nationwide movement eventually led to congressional action.  Kari’s Law passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 408-0.  And it passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent.  One man with courage didn’t just produce a majority; he produced unanimity.  And given the state of politics in our nation’s capital these days, that was a remarkable accomplishment.

Then, on February 16, 2018, President Trump signed Kari’s Law in the Oval Office.  Hank and I were there that day.  And Kari’s daughter was there as well, and she had the chance to speak with the President.  It was a special event that I will never forget.

With the President’s signature, the baton was passed to the FCC.  And we began to run with it.  Last year, we proposed rules to implement Kari’s Law.  And today, we are adopting those rules.  In particular, these rules will make it easier for Americans in hotels, office buildings, and campuses to dial 911 and reach the help that they need in an emergency.  And they will make it more likely than when such a 911 call is placed, an on-site notification is provided so that an employee can help speed response times when emergency personnel arrives.

We’re also adopting rules pursuant to another piece of legislation, RAY BAUM’s Act, which require the conveyance of dispatchable location with a 911 call regardless of the technological platform used.  This is another important step forward that will help emergency personnel find 911 callers more quickly and thus save lives.

But today, I think that the spotlight should be on Hank.  Today brings to a close the legislative and regulatory journey that traces back to a Marshall, Texas hotel room.  None of this would have happened without the strength and fortitude of Hank.  Had he not chosen to embrace this issue and demand action, there would be no Kari’s Law, and we would not be here today taking the final step to implement this piece of legislation.

But he did act, and we are here.  Nothing that we do or say can ever bring back his daughter.  But because of what Hank has done, Kari will not be known only for her tragic death.  She will be remembered as the inspiration for the law bearing her name and the rules we are adopting which will save lives.  While I never had the privilege of meeting Kari, from speaking to those who did know her, that is a fitting legacy.  And it is one that has been secured by the efforts of one man with courage who has made a majority:  Hank Hunt.

Before closing, I’d also like to thank Commissioner Carr, who worked hard on this issue when serving as a Legal Advisor in my office.  And a special thanks to the FCC staff who furthered Kari’s memory by working on this important item:

William Beckwith, Brenda Boykin, Ken Carlberg, Elizabeth Cuttner, Tom Eng, John Evanoff, Lisa Fowlkes, David Furth, Erika Olsen, Rasoul Safavian, and Michael Wilhelm from the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau; Robert Aldrich, Rosaline Crawford, Elliot Greenwald, Michael Scott, and Suzy Rosen Singleton from the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau; Jason Koslovsy, Chris Killion, and Jeremy Marcus from the Enforcement Bureau; Jennifer Gilsenan from the International Bureau; Chana Wilkerson from the Office of Communications Business Opportunities;  Jamison Prime from the Office of Engineering and Technology; Malena Barzilai, David Horowitz, William Richardson, and Anjali Singh from the Office of General Counsel; Rosa Bell from the Office of the Secretary;  Eric Burger, Chuck Needy, and Emily Talaga from the Office of Economic Analysis; Michele Berlove, Lisa Hone, Daniel Kahn, and Terri Natoli from the Wireline Competition Bureau; Jonathan Campbell from the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.

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