THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

96

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

  

STATE OF HAWAII

  
   

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE FORMATION OF A wIRELESS enhanced 911 INTERIM WORKING GROUP.

 

WHEREAS, a statewide enhanced 911 system has proven to be a lifesaving service and routing a 911 call to the appropriate public safety answering point with a display of the caller’s identification and location should be available for all users of telecommunications services, regardless of the technology used to make and transmit the call; and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the public to ensure adequate ongoing funding to support enhanced 911 service; and

WHEREAS, all interested parties, including the State, counties, wireless telecommunications carriers, and consumers need to work together to propose an ongoing funding source from wireless subscribers who represent a growing group of users of the enhanced 911 system; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to create a process for cost recovery for counties and wireless carriers investing in the new technologies that will allow wireless 911 callers to be identified and located; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that a Wireless Enhanced 911 Working Group (working group) be established and composed of eleven members, as follows:

(1) The Director of Health or the Director's designee, who shall serve as the chair of the working group;

(2) The Consumer Advocate, or the Consumer Advocate's designee;

(3) One representative and one alternate representative each from the county police departments;

(4) One representative and one alternate representative from each of the following wireless providers: AT&T Wireless, Sprint PCS, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless; and

(5) The Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau or the Director's designee, who shall provide research and drafting support; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to study the funding needed to support a new wireless identification and location services consistent with the rules of the Federal Communication Commission for the transmission of 911 calls from wireless carriers to enhanced 911 emergency communications systems, and to recommend a surcharge to be imposed on wireless subscribers to enable the counties to provide these services and the carriers to recover their costs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is authorized to create subcommittees and technical advisory committees as needed to carry out its responsibilities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2004; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Health, Consumer Advocate, mayors and police chiefs of each county, government affairs representatives of AT&T Wireless, Sprint PCS, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless, and Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau.

 

 
 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Wireless Enhanced E911; Interim Working Group