47 USC 615a-1 – Duty to provide 9-1-1 and enhanced 9-1-1 service
(a) Duties
It shall be the duty of each IP-enabled voice service provider to provide 9-1-1 service and enhanced 9-1-1 service to its subscribers in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Communications Commission, as in effect on the date of enactment of the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008 and as such requirements may be modified by the Commission from time to time.
(b) Parity for IP-enabled voice service providers
Terms Used In 47 USC 615a-1
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- corporation: includes any corporation, joint-stock company, or association. See 47 USC 153
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- mobile service: means a radio communication service carried on between mobile stations or receivers and land stations, and by mobile stations communicating among themselves, and includes (A) both one-way and two-way radio communication services, (B) a mobile service which provides a regularly interacting group of base, mobile, portable, and associated control and relay stations (whether licensed on an individual, cooperative, or multiple basis) for private one-way or two-way land mobile radio communications by eligible users over designated areas of operation, and (C) any service for which a license is required in a personal communications service established pursuant to the proceeding entitled "Amendment to the Commission's Rules to Establish New Personal Communications Services" (GEN Docket No. See 47 USC 153
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- person: includes an individual, partnership, association, joint-stock company, trust, or corporation. See 47 USC 153
- Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
- Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
- State: includes the District of Columbia and the Territories and possessions. See 47 USC 153
- telecommunications: means the transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the user's choosing, without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received. See 47 USC 153
An IP-enabled voice service provider that seeks capabilities to provide 9-1-1 and enhanced 9-1-1 service from an entity with ownership or control over such capabilities, to comply with its obligations under subsection (a), shall, for the exclusive purpose of complying with such obligations, have a right of access to such capabilities, including interconnection, to provide 9-1-1 and enhanced 9-1-1 service on the same rates, terms, and conditions that are provided to a provider of commercial mobile service (as such term is defined in section 332(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 332(d))), subject to such regulations as the Commission prescribes under subsection (c).
(c) Regulations
The Commission—
(1) within 90 days after the date of enactment of the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008, shall issue regulations implementing such Act, including regulations that—
(A) ensure that IP-enabled voice service providers have the ability to exercise their rights under subsection (b);
(B) take into account any technical, network security, or information privacy requirements that are specific to IP-enabled voice services; and
(C) provide, with respect to any capabilities that are not required to be made available to a commercial mobile service provider but that the Commission determines under subparagraph (B) of this paragraph or paragraph (3) are necessary for an IP-enabled voice service provider to comply with its obligations under subsection (a), that such capabilities shall be available at the same rates, terms, and conditions as would apply if such capabilities were made available to a commercial mobile service provider;
(2) shall require IP-enabled voice service providers to which the regulations apply to register with the Commission and to establish a point of contact for public safety and government officials relative to 9-1-1 and enhanced 9-1-1 service and access; and
(3) may modify such regulations from time to time, as necessitated by changes in the market or technology, to ensure the ability of an IP-enabled voice service provider to comply with its obligations under subsection (a) and to exercise its rights under subsection (b).
(d) Delegation of enforcement to State commissions
The Commission may delegate authority to enforce the regulations issued under subsection (c) to State commissions or other State or local agencies or programs with jurisdiction over emergency communications. Nothing in this section is intended to alter the authority of State commissions or other State or local agencies with jurisdiction over emergency communications, provided that the exercise of such authority is not inconsistent with Federal law or Commission requirements.
(e) Implementation
(1) Limitation
Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the Commission to issue regulations that require or impose a specific technology or technological standard.
(2) Enforcement
The Commission shall enforce this section as if this section was a part of the Communications Act of 1934 [47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.]. For purposes of this section, any violations of this section, or any regulations promulgated under this section, shall be considered to be a violation of the Communications Act of 1934 or a regulation promulgated under that Act, respectively.
(f) State authority over fees
(1) Authority
Nothing in this Act, the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.), the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008, or any Commission regulation or order shall prevent the imposition and collection of a fee or charge applicable to commercial mobile services or IP-enabled voice services specifically designated by a State, political subdivision thereof, Indian tribe, or village or regional corporation serving a region established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, as amended (85 Stat. 688) [43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.] 1 for the support or implementation of 9-1-1 or enhanced 9-1-1 services, provided that the fee or charge is obligated or expended only in support of 9-1-1 and enhanced 9-1-1 services, or enhancements of such services, consistent with the purposes and functions designated in the final rules issued under paragraph (3) as purposes and functions for which the obligation or expenditure of such a fee or charge is acceptable. For each class of subscribers to IP-enabled voice services, the fee or charge may not exceed the amount of any such fee or charge applicable to the same class of subscribers to telecommunications services.
(2) Fee accountability report
To ensure efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the collection and expenditure of a fee or charge for the support or implementation of 9-1-1 or enhanced 9-1-1 services, the Commission shall submit a report within 1 year after the date of enactment of the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008, and annually thereafter, to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives detailing the status in each State of the collection and distribution of such fees or charges, and including findings on the amount of revenues obligated or expended by each State or political subdivision thereof for any purpose or function other than the purposes and functions designated in the final rules issued under paragraph (3) as purposes and functions for which the obligation or expenditure of any such fees or charges is acceptable.
(3) Acceptable obligations or expenditures
(A) Rules required
In order to prevent diversion of 9-1-1 fees or charges, the Commission shall, not later than 180 days after December 27, 2020, issue final rules designating purposes and functions for which the obligation or expenditure of 9-1-1 fees or charges, by any State or taxing jurisdiction authorized to impose such a fee or charge, is acceptable.
(B) Purposes and functions
The purposes and functions designated under subparagraph (A) shall be limited to the support and implementation of 9-1-1 services provided by or in the State or taxing jurisdiction imposing the fee or charge and operational expenses of public safety answering points within such State or taxing jurisdiction. In designating such purposes and functions, the Commission shall consider the purposes and functions that States and taxing jurisdictions specify as the intended purposes and functions for the 9-1-1 fees or charges of such States and taxing jurisdictions, and determine whether such purposes and functions directly support providing 9-1-1 services.
(C) Consultation required
The Commission shall consult with public safety organizations and States and taxing jurisdictions as part of any proceeding under this paragraph.
(D) Definitions
In this paragraph:
(i) 9-1-1 fee or charge
The term “9-1-1 fee or charge” means a fee or charge applicable to commercial mobile services or IP-enabled voice services specifically designated by a State or taxing jurisdiction for the support or implementation of 9-1-1 services.
(ii) 9-1-1 services
The term “9-1-1 services” has the meaning given such term in section 942(e) of this title.
(iii) State or taxing jurisdiction
The term “State or taxing jurisdiction” means a State, political subdivision thereof, Indian Tribe, or village or regional corporation serving a region established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).
(4) Participation
If a State or taxing jurisdiction (as defined in paragraph (3)(D)) receives a grant under section 942 of this title after December 27, 2020, such State or taxing jurisdiction shall, as a condition of receiving such grant, provide the information requested by the Commission to prepare the report required by paragraph (2).
(5) Petition regarding additional purposes and functions
(A) In general
A State or taxing jurisdiction (as defined in paragraph (3)(D)) may submit to the Commission a petition for a determination that an obligation or expenditure of a 9-1-1 fee or charge (as defined in such paragraph) by such State or taxing jurisdiction for a purpose or function other than a purpose or function designated under paragraph (3)(A) should be treated as such a purpose or function. If the Commission finds that the State or taxing jurisdiction has provided sufficient documentation to make the demonstration described in subparagraph (B), the Commission shall grant such petition.
(B) Demonstration described
The demonstration described in this subparagraph is a demonstration that the purpose or function—
(i) supports public safety answering point functions or operations; or
(ii) has a direct impact on the ability of a public safety answering point to—
(I) receive or respond to 9-1-1 calls; or
(II) dispatch emergency responders.
(g) Availability of PSAP information
The Commission may compile a list of public safety answering point contact information, contact information for providers of selective routers, testing procedures, classes and types of services supported by public safety answering points, and other information concerning 9-1-1 and enhanced 9-1-1 elements, for the purpose of assisting IP-enabled voice service providers in complying with this section, and may make any portion of such information available to telecommunications carriers, wireless carriers, IP-enabled voice service providers, other emergency service providers, or the vendors to or agents of any such carriers or providers, if such availability would improve public safety.
(h) Development of standards
The Commission shall work cooperatively with public safety organizations, industry participants, and the E-?911 Implementation Coordination Office to develop best practices that promote consistency, where appropriate, including procedures for—
(1) defining geographic coverage areas for public safety answering points;
(2) defining network diversity requirements for delivery of IP-enabled 9-1-1 and enhanced 9-1-1 calls;
(3) call-handling in the event of call overflow or network outages;
(4) public safety answering point certification and testing requirements;
(5) validation procedures for inputting and updating location information in relevant databases; and
(6) the format for delivering address information to public safety answering points.
(i) Rule of construction
Nothing in the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008 shall be construed as altering, delaying, or otherwise limiting the ability of the Commission to enforce the Federal actions taken or rules adopted obligating an IP-enabled voice service provider to provide 9-1-1 or enhanced 9-1-1 service as of the date of enactment of the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008.
(j) Severability clause
If any provision of this section or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of this section and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.