[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 12 (Monday, January 23, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H588-H590]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         KARI'S LAW ACT OF 2017

  Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 582) to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require multi-
line telephone systems to have a configuration that permits users to 
directly initiate a call to 9-1-1 without dialing any additional digit, 
code, prefix, or post-fix, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 582

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Kari's Law Act of 2017''.

     SEC. 2. CONFIGURATION OF MULTI-LINE TELEPHONE SYSTEMS FOR 
                   DIRECT DIALING OF 9-1-1.

       (a) In General.--Title VII of the Communications Act of 
     1934 (47 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:

     ``SEC. 721. CONFIGURATION OF MULTI-LINE TELEPHONE SYSTEMS FOR 
                   DIRECT DIALING OF 9-1-1.

       ``(a) System Manufacture, Importation, Sale, and Lease.--A 
     person engaged in the business of manufacturing, importing, 
     selling, or leasing multi-line telephone systems may not 
     manufacture or import for use in the United States, or sell 
     or lease or offer to sell or lease in the United States, a 
     multi-line telephone system, unless such system is pre-
     configured such that, when properly installed in accordance 
     with subsection (b), a user may directly initiate a call to 
     9-1-1 from any station equipped with dialing facilities, 
     without dialing any additional digit, code, prefix, or post-
     fix, including any trunk-access code such as the digit `9', 
     regardless of whether the user is required to dial such a 
     digit, code, prefix, or post-fix for other calls.
       ``(b) System Installation, Management, and Operation.--A 
     person engaged in the business of installing, managing, or 
     operating multi-line telephone systems may not install, 
     manage, or operate for use in the United States such a 
     system, unless such system is configured such that a user may 
     directly initiate a call to 9-1-1 from any station equipped 
     with dialing facilities, without dialing any additional 
     digit, code, prefix, or post-fix, including any trunk-access 
     code such as the digit `9', regardless of whether the user is 
     required to dial such a digit, code, prefix, or post-fix for 
     other calls.
       ``(c) On-Site Notification.--A person engaged in the 
     business of installing, managing, or operating multi-line 
     telephone systems shall, in installing, managing, or 
     operating such a system for use in the United States, 
     configure the system to provide a notification to a central 
     location at the facility where the system is installed or to 
     another person or organization regardless of location, if the 
     system is able to be configured to provide the notification 
     without an improvement to the hardware or software of the 
     system.
       ``(d) Effect on State Law.--Nothing in this section is 
     intended to alter the authority of State commissions or other 
     State or local agencies with jurisdiction over emergency 
     communications, if the exercise of such authority is not 
     inconsistent with this Act.
       ``(e) Enforcement.--This section shall be enforced under 
     title V, except that section 501 applies only to the extent 
     that such section provides for the punishment of a fine.
       ``(f) Multi-Line Telephone System Defined.--In this 
     section, the term `multi-line telephone system' has the 
     meaning given such term in section 6502 of the Middle Class 
     Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1471).''.
       (b) Effective Date.--
       (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
     section 721 of the Communications Act of 1934, as added by 
     subsection (a) of this section, shall apply beginning on the 
     date that is 2 years after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act.
       (2) Exception.--Subsection (b) or (c) of such section 721 
     shall not apply to a multi-line telephone system that was 
     installed before the date that is 2 years after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act if such system is not able to be 
     configured to meet the requirement of such subsection (b) or 
     (c), respectively, without an improvement to the hardware or 
     software of the system.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Lance) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Michael F. 
Doyle) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  At our subcommittee hearing last April, we heard the very moving 
testimony of Mr. Hank Hunt. Hank told us the story of how his daughter 
Kari was brutally murdered in a Texas motel bathroom in December 2013. 
As emotional as his story was, Hank continued with the gut wrenching 
details of how Kari's daughter frantically tried and failed to reach 
first responders.
  The little girl had done as she was always taught, dial 911 for help. 
Tragically, as it turns out, that was her mistake. Due to the 
configuration of the phone installed in the motel room, she needed to 
dial 9 before dialing an outside number. Time after time she tried, but 
the call never went through. The first responders who could have 
attempted to save Kari's life were not reached in time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this commonsense bill that 
has the ability to save lives. Unfortunately, it

[[Page H589]]

cost the life of Kari Hunt before the call for action was recognized.
  Multiline telephone systems, like the one in that Texas motel room, 
are everywhere. Many businesses, including hotels, offices, and 
schools, use MLTS at their facilities across the country. They serve a 
very practical purpose and make connecting to other onsite users much 
easier. Unfortunately, many of these phones do not preset with the 
ability directly to dial 911.
  It may be routine for someone who works in an office to know to dial 
9 before dialing out, but would the instinct seem so natural during an 
emergency? Incidentally, I have telephones in offices here and in 
several district locations in New Jersey, and in some of those offices 
you dial 9 and in some you don't.
  Moreover, our children should not have to be taught that sometimes 
they need to dial an extra number. 911 should mean 911. Those three 
numbers are one of the earliest things many parents teach their 
children. Kari's Law would require multiline telephone systems to be 
configured with the ability directly to dial 911 without any additional 
prefix.

                              {time}  1730

  The law would also require that multiline phone systems be configured 
to notify a central location within the system's facility when someone 
initiates a call to 911. This provision will help ensure first 
responders have the information needed to better locate and assist the 
caller.
  There are some businesses, including a number of hotel chains, who 
have shown initiative and applied these changes in their facilities 
already. I commend them, but there is more work to be done. These 
simple fixes should be adopted and implemented nationwide. When dialing 
to reach emergency responders, it needs to go through, period.
  I thank Hank Hunt, Kari's father, who has been a tireless advocate 
for this legislation. He has brought this important issue to our 
attention. Kari's Law passed without objection twice last Congress, and 
I urge all of my colleagues to support Representative Gohmert's bill 
once again. Representative Gohmert has certainly taken the lead on this 
across the United States. He is an angel of mercy in this regard. I 
hope this legislation becomes law this year and will be signed into law 
by our new President because I think it is critical for the safety of 
the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                    H.R. 582 Kari's Law Act of 2017


                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATTON

       Multi-Line Telephone Systems (MLTS) serve multiple 
     telephone users at a single site, often an office building, 
     hotel, university campus, or similar location. One common 
     feature of MLTS is the configuration that permits shorter 
     dialing sequences within the system by requiring a user to 
     dial a digit or prefix to reach a number outside of the 
     system--that is, dial ``9'' before reaching an outside line. 
     Thus, on some MLTS a user may have to dial the prefix when 
     attempting to make an emergency call. In December 2013, Kari 
     Hunt was killed by her estranged husband in a motel room in 
     Texas. Her daughter repeatedly attempted to dial 9-1-1 from 
     the motel room, but was unable to reach emergency responders 
     because the motel's MLTS required users to dial ``9'' to 
     reach an outside line.
       Kari's Law seeks to ensure that this situation does not 
     result in confusion in the heat of an emergency, preventing 
     others from accessing essential emergency services from an 
     MLTS phone. While many hotels and office buildings have begun 
     to make this change to their systems, this bill would make it 
     a universal requirement. H.R. 582 requires that all MLTS have 
     a default configuration that allows users to directly dial 9-
     1-1, without the need for any additional digit or prefix, 
     from any phone with dialing facilities. In addition, the 
     system must also be configured to notify a designated central 
     point of contact when someone initiates a call to 9-1-1 using 
     the system. By notifying a central point of contact, 
     emergency responders are better able to access, locate, and 
     assist a caller who initiates a 9-1-1 call within the MLTS.


             SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION

       Section 1. Short title
       Section 1 provides that the Act may be cited as the 
     ``Kari's Law Act of 2017.''
       Section 2. Configuration of multi-line telephone systems 
     for direct dialing of 9-1-1
       Section 2(a) adds a new Section 721 to the Communications 
     Act of 1934, as amended.
       New Section 721(a) requires that any person manufacturing, 
     selling, importing, or leasing multi-line telephone systems 
     only do so if the system is pre-configured in a way that a 
     user may directly initiate a call to 9-1-1 without dialing 
     any additional digits or prefixes. This section applies to 
     any system that is sold, leased, offered, or imported for use 
     in the United States after the effective date. This includes 
     systems that have call control located outside of the U.S., 
     but have terminals or end points in the U.S. While systems 
     are required to be pre-configured with the default dialing 
     pattern described in this section, it does not preclude the 
     inclusion of additional optional dialing patterns to reach 9-
     1-1 (e.g. (9)9-1-1). However, if the system is configured 
     with these additional dialing patterns, they must be in 
     addition to the default pattern.
       New Section 721(b) requires that any person who installs, 
     operates, or manages a MLTS only do so if the system is 
     configured such that a user may directly initiate a call to 
     9-1-1 without any additional digit or prefix. This section 
     also applies to systems installed, managed, or operated for 
     use in the United States.
       New Section 721(c) requires that systems be configured to 
     provide a notification to either a central location at the 
     facility where the system is located, or to a contact person 
     or organization regardless of location. This section is 
     intended to assist first responders in their emergency 
     response by providing access and information needed to locate 
     the caller. This can be particularly important in large 
     buildings like hotels, hospitals, and schools, where on-site 
     personnel are uniquely suited to provide information about 
     the building and its occupants. This provision requires the 
     system to designate a central point of contact, but allows 
     the MLTS owner or operator some flexibility in determining 
     the most appropriate contact, whether in the building or 
     otherwise.
       This subsection only applies to systems where the 
     configuration is achievable without an improvement to the 
     hardware or software of the system. The Committee intends 
     this provision to include upgrades to the core systems of a 
     MLTS, but not the addition of additional extensions or lines. 
     The Committee also intends this provision to apply to 
     substantial upgrades to the software, particularly those 
     requiring a significant purchase. Minor software upgrades 
     that are easily achieved or are made to improve the security 
     of the system would not be considered an ``improvement'' for 
     the purposes of this section. The legislation seeks to 
     balance the need for an onsite notification with the goal of 
     not placing an undue burden on MLTS owners or operators.
       New Section 721(d) clarifies that this legislation does not 
     alter the authority of state or local agencies with 
     jurisdiction over emergency communications, as long as that 
     authority isn't exercised in a manner inconsistent with this 
     legislation.
       New Section 721(e) allows for enforcement under Title V of 
     the Communications Act, but only to the extent that the 
     section allows for the imposition of a fine.
       New Section 721(f) defines multi-line telephone system by 
     crossreferencing the definition in Section 6502 of the Middle 
     Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.
       Section 2(b) sets an effective date for the changes at two 
     years after the date of enactment of the Act.

  Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 
such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in general support of H.R. 582. The primary 
sponsor is Representative Gohmert.
  This is a bill that passed the House last Congress by voice vote.
  I agree that we must do all we can to make sure that consumers using 
multiline telephone systems can directly dial 911 without having to 
dial additional digits first. These are in many large office buildings 
and hotels. Many of these systems require consumers to dial an extra 9 
before they get a dial tone. You have to hit 9 before you get your dial 
tone to get an outside line. Most of us know that, but too many people 
do not realize that this applies to 911. If you don't dial 9 first, you 
can't reach the emergency services.
  Such a requirement led to a tragedy in Texas several years ago. Kari 
Dunn was killed while her 9-year-old daughter tried to call for help. 
She did what she was taught to do in an emergency. She dialed 911. But 
because the system she was using required her to dial a 9 first, she 
only heard silence on the other end of the line.
  Building on the Herculean effort of Kari Dunn's family, we are one 
step closer to fixing this problem once and for all. H.R. 582 is an 
important step to making our systems work better in an emergency. But 
for all the good this bill does, it still leaves work to be done.
  Specifically, these multiline systems still often fail to deliver 
accurate location information to first responders. That means that if 
somebody called 911 from this very building, for instance, precious 
minutes would tick by as emergency personnel struggle to figure out 
where the call came from in this

[[Page H590]]

enormous complex. That delay could be the difference between life and 
death.
  We have to correct this problem, too, because making sure the call 
goes through is only helpful if the public safety officials can find 
the caller. Democrats tried to include such a provision in the version 
of this bill from last Congress, and at that time we received a 
commitment from Chairman Walden to work together on a separate bill to 
address this concern.
  We were not able to solve this problem in the last Congress, and we 
expect that commitment will carry over to this Congress. I urge Members 
to support H.R. 582.
  Mr. Speaker, we have no other speakers on this side, so I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert), the sponsor of this 
legislation.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, I am very grateful to Mr. Lance for his 
great leadership on this issue. And I appreciate the comments of my 
friend across the aisle, Mr. Doyle.
  This did pass by voice vote.
  One can't help but wonder: How many times has this played out that we 
don't know about? How many times has there been a child that tried to 
dial 911? How many times has a panicked adult dialed 911 not knowing?
  And I was in a hotel the other day where you had to dial 7 to get 
out.
  How many times has somebody been killed trying to dial 911?
  We don't know. There is no way to know. But we do know that this is 
the right thing to do. And the only reason this came forward is after 
the tragic loss of Kari. Her death occurred over several minutes. 
Normally in a town like Marshall, especially in a town like that, the 
police are going to be there within a minute or two when something goes 
on this long. It was a beating; it was a stabbing; her daughter was 
trying to dial.
  After Kari had left this world, her daughter was sitting in Hank 
Hunt's lap. She was crying saying: I did all I could. I kept dialing 
911 and it wouldn't go through.
  Hank was torn up about it and got to investigating. That is when this 
was brought to light. When Hank brought it to my attention, we got to 
investigating. And we do have limits here in Congress. We are not 
supposed to go meddling, according to the 10th Amendment, in State and 
local affairs; but this is a matter of interstate communications. This 
is a matter for the Congress. This goes across State lines constantly. 
It is in the public domain across the country. If we don't do it when 
it involves interstate commerce, then nobody else has the authority to 
go across State lines.
  I also thank the FCC Commissioner Pai, who I understand will soon be 
the chairman, for all his efforts because he truly participated.
  We found out that there is really no cost. If we pass this law such 
as it is, then the companies that produce these phones would just set 
the default position so that when someone dials 911, it goes straight 
to an emergency operator without having to dial a prefix, whether it is 
7, 9, 3, whatever. So there is no cost in that. It is just telling them 
how to do the default.
  What about existing lines?
  And then we found from people that have installed these multiphone 
lines that, actually, if somebody calls and says, ``Hey, we need to get 
our phone system reset so you can dial 911 and it goes straight 
through,'' everyone that we have talked to that was in that business 
said, ``Oh, we will come make that switch for free.''
  So we knew we had a bill here, we had a law--it goes across party 
lines, it goes across bicameral lines--we had an opportunity to pass a 
bill.
  I am grateful to Senator Klobuchar in the Senate and all the 
bipartisan support there. As my friend, Mr. Doyle, pointed out, there 
is another push. Let's identify exactly where someone is within that 
multiline system. That will cost money.
  There are some that have said: Look, if there is somebody that is 
making a secret call, they don't want the bad guys figuring out where 
the call is coming from.
  So there are other issues involved here, but we have a bill that will 
save lives and it is agreeable across the aisle. It passed this manner 
in the past Congress. It will pass this way again today. So I urge not 
only our friends here in the House, but also my friends in the Senate, 
please pass this bill that we all agree on, save lives, and then let's 
have a full and thorough debate on the part that will cost money. We 
have some mom and pop hotels that say: If you make us buy a new phone 
system, the one we have won't be able to identify which room is making 
the call. You make us add to that, we are already in trouble. We are 
barely getting by. Please don't add more costs to what we are 
struggling to pay as it is.

  Let's have that debate in a separate bill. Go in and pass this 
noncontroversial one for Kari's sake and for the sake of all of those 
that would come into the same situation. Let's just pass this bill. 
Kari, as her father and her daughters have said, will then not have 
died for nothing. Her loss of life will save lives in the future.
  Again, I thank my friend, Mr. Lance. What a great American, the way 
he pursues matters of conscience. I appreciate again my friend across 
the aisle, Mr. Doyle.
  I urge passage of this bill now, today.
  Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 582, the 
Kari's Law Act of 2017, which amends the Communications Act of 1934 to 
require multi-line telephone systems to have a configuration that 
permits users to directly initiate a call 9-1-1 without dialing any 
additional digit, code, prefix, or post-fix.
  As a senior member of the House Committees on Homeland Security and 
Judiciary, I am well aware of the importance of 9-1-1 services and some 
of the challenges of E-9-1-1 to ensure that those seeking emergency 
assistance receive the help they need.
  H.R. 582 would create parity for landline ``9-1-1 services'' and 
smartphone E-9-1-1 services'' so that emergency assistance request from 
either is treated the same.
  The bill requires that those engaged in the manufacturing, 
importation, sale, and lease of telecommunication service or devices 
pre-configured technology to dial 9-1-1.
  The goal of H.R. 582 is to ensure that all emergency calls regardless 
of the source are routed properly to emergency services.
  Kari's Law is not intended to alter the authority of State 
commissions or other State or local agencies with jurisdiction over 
emergency communications.
  The establishment of the Kari's Law Act acknowledges the importance 
of the configuration of multi-line telephones systems for direct 
dialing for 9-1-1.
  Over the past two decades, the personal communications of Americans 
have changed.
  The Wireless Association reported that the penetration of cellular 
devices surpassed 100 percent in 2012, and as of the latest 2014 
report, penetration is now at 110 percent.
  According to the Pew Research Center, 68 percent of U.S. adults have 
a smartphone, up from 35 percent in 2011, and tablet computer ownership 
has edged up to 45 percent among adults, according to newly released 
survey data from the Pew Research Center.
  Smartphone ownership is nearing the saturation point with some 
groups: 86 percent of those ages 18 through 29 have a smartphone, as do 
83 percent of those ages 30 through 49 and 87 percent of those living 
in households earning $75,000 and up annually.
  With so many mobile devices deployed the majority of calls to 911 
emergency public safety answering points (PSAP) originate from them.
  U.S. emergency dispatch agencies report that wireless callers are 
responsible for at least 80 percent of their emergency call volume.
  For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to Support H.R. 582, Kari's 
Law Act of 2017.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Lance) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 582.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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