[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 82 (Tuesday, May 24, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E776]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         KARI'S LAW ACT OF 2016

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 23, 2016

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4167, Kari's 
Law Act of 2015.
  H.R. 4167 addresses a very serious problem. The bill requires Multi-
Line Telephone Systems to provide direct dialing to 9-1-1. The bill is 
named after Kari Hunt who was tragically murdered by her estranged 
husband in a hotel room while her daughter tried and failed to dial 9-
1-1 because the Multi-Line Telephone System required a prefix to be 
dialed first.
  When you dial 9-1-1 from a hotel or office--when seconds matters--you 
shouldn't have to dial ``9'' or some other prefix to get help. I 
strongly support the overall goals of this bill.
  However, location accuracy for Multi-Line Telephone Systems is just 
as important. First responders have to know exactly where an individual 
is calling from, especially if the caller is unable to communicate to 
the dispatcher, or the caller simply doesn't know where they are. If 
first responders have to spend time searching buildings, going door to 
door, that can be the difference between life and death.
  During the subcommittee and full committee markups of H.R. 4167, I 
offered an amendment to require a location accuracy proceeding at the 
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) within 180 days of enactment of 
the bill. Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues did not agree to 
accept my amendment, and instead proposed language requiring the FCC to 
conduct a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) to solicit public comment on 
requiring location accuracy for Multi-Line Telephone Systems. I did not 
accept this proposal because I do not think an NOI moves the ball 
forward. That view is shared by the FCC and the public safety 
community. Ultimately, I withdrew my amendment following a commitment 
from the Chairman of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, 
Representative Greg Walden that he would work with me on location 
accuracy technology.
  The FCC has studied location accuracy technology for Multi-Line 
Telephone Systems since 1994, and as recently as 2012 Congress directed 
the FCC to issue a Public Notice Seeking Comment on the feasibility of 
Multi-Line Telephone Systems to provide the precise location of a 911 
caller. This was included in Section 6504(b) of the Middle Class Tax 
Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 and was modeled on legislation I 
introduced with my colleague and fellow co-chair of the NextGen 9-1-1 
Caucus, Representative Shimkus, known as the Next Generation 911 
Advancement Act of 2012.
  Despite the extensive history surrounding location accuracy, the FCC 
has failed to take action to require this essential technology in 
Multi-Line Telephone Systems. To wait any longer for action is simply 
an excuse and a costly one because lives are at stake.
  I recently introduced H.R. 5236, the Requesting Emergency Services 
and Providing Origination Notification Systems Everywhere (RESPONSE) 
Act, which would require the Federal Communications Commission to 
complete a proceeding requiring all Multi-Line Telephone Systems to 
provide first responders with the precise location of a 9-1-1 caller. 
I'm hopeful my colleagues will work with me to pass this important 
bill.
  Although H.R. 4167 does not address the critical issue of location 
accuracy, it is nonetheless a step in the right direction that will 
save lives and make real progress. For these reasons I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4167.

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