03/17/1993 08:50 AM Senate FIN

                                                                               
  SENATE BILL NO. 97                                                           
                                                                               
       An  Act   relating  to   enhanced  911   emergency                      
       reporting systems; and providing for an  effective                      
       date.                                                                   
                                                                               
  Co-chairman Frank  directed that  SB 97  be  brought on  for                 
  discussion.                                                                  
                                                                               
  KEN ERICKSON, aide to Senator Pearce, came before committee.                 
  He directed attention  to a work draft  committee substitute                 
  for  the bill (8-LS0293\O,  Cramer, 3/16/93),  and explained                 
  that it would  allow emergency dispatchers to  better assist                 
  people who call  911. Victims of  crime, the young, and  the                 
  elderly are often  unable to  give adequate directions  when                 
  they dial the  emergency number.   If enacted,  SB 97  would                 
  create a mechanism  to fund enhanced 911  reporting systems.                 
  The  bill  is  permissive.    Enhanced  systems  provide  an                 
  expansion  of  benefits  of  existing  911  services.    New                 
  benefits include:                                                            
                                                                               
       1.   Immediate  visual  display  of  the  location  and                 
  telephone           number of the caller.                                    
                                                                               
       2.   Automatic routing to the appropriate emergency                     
            response unit.                                                     
                                                                               
       3.   Faster response time.                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
       4.   Curtailment of abuses of the emergency system by                   
            documentation of callers.                                          
                                                                               
  The legislation provides immunity from liability (except for                 
  intentional  acts  of  misconduct or  gross  negligence)  to                 
  municipalities  and  suppliers  of 911  services.    For the                 
  purposes  of  a  dispatcher  furnishing   name  and  address                 
  information  to emergency  response units,  the  bill waives                 
  telephone  customer privacy rights  afforded by  an unlisted                 
  number.                                                                      
                                                                               
  The difference  between the  proposed draft  and the  Senate                 
  Labor and  Commerce version rests in removal  of section two                 
  which  exempted  from  public  record,  transcriptions   and                 
  recordings of 911 phone calls.   Emergency systems currently                 
  work well without that  extra protection.  There is  thus no                 
  reason to change the status quo.  The section was originally                 
  requested by the  Anchorage telephone utility.   The utility                 
  has since decided the section is unnecessary.                                
                                                                               
  Senator Rieger inquired  regarding what kind of  information                 
  might be divulged  as a  result of removal  of section  two.                 
  Senator Kelly  noted that 911 information has been public up                 
  until this time.                                                             
                                                                               
  Senator  Kelly  MOVED for  adoption  of the  draft committee                 
  substitute dated 3-16-93.  No  objection having been raised,                 
  CSSB 97 (Finance)  was ADOPTED.  Senator  Kelly subsequently                 
  MOVED  that  CSSB  97  (Finance)  pass from  committee  with                 
  individual recommendations and  the accompanying zero fiscal                 
  note from the  Dept. of  Commerce and Economic  Development.                 
  No objection having  been raised,  IT WAS SO  ORDERED.   All                 
  members signing  the committee  report (Co-chairs  Frank and                 
  Pearce and  Senators Kelly,  Rieger, and  Sharp) signed  "do                 
  pass."                                                                       
                                                                               
                                                                               
  ADJOURNMENT                                                                  
                                                                               
  The meeting was adjourned at approximately 11:55 a.m.