WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today reported the “911 Modernization Act” (S. 93), a bill to upgrade the 911 system used to reach operators in an emergency.  The bill was introduced by Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and is co-sponsored by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Texas). The bill now awaits consideration by the full Senate. 

“This bill will accelerate the pace of 911 upgrades which are desperately needed throughout the country, especially in rural America,” said Senator Stevens.  “I look forward to working with Senators Inouye, Clinton and Hutchison and our collective leadership in both the House and the Senate to make sure that this bill gets signed into law as soon as possible so these 911 grants can be awarded quickly.”

“Public safety call centers and first responders need this critical funding to keep up with technology in the rapidly evolving telecommunications marketplace,” said Senator Clinton.  “This is an important step toward ensuring that all callers to 911 will be helped and located, regardless of whether they make a 911 call from a land line, cell phone or Internet-based service.”

The two leading 911 organizations, the National Emergency Number Association and the Association for Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, have asked that Congress move forward with this bill quickly citing the fact that half of the nation's counties do not have “enhanced” or E-911 capability which enables public safety call centers to identify the number of the caller and in many instances pinpoint the geographic location of the call.  This bill expedites the funding for new 911 technological upgrades using money that Congress has already allocated and would fund the grant program established under the “Ensuring Needed Help Arrives Near Callers Employing 911 (ENHANCE) Act” which was signed into law in 2004 and championed by Senator Clinton.   The reconciliation bill of 2005 made $43.5 million available from the auction of TV spectrum now scheduled for 2008.  This bill will make those funds available to public safety groups immediately.  The funds will be replaced after the auction is held, which is expected to be later this year.

# # #