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2007 SESSION

062693480
HOUSE BILL NO. 1603
Offered January 20, 2006
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 15 of Title 56 an article numbered 8, consisting of sections numbered 56-484.19, 56-484.20, and 56-484.21, relating to 9-1-1 calls made from telephones connected to multiline telephone systems.
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Patrons-- Rapp, O'Bannon and Orrock
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Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Chapter 15 of Title 56 an article numbered 8, consisting of sections numbered 56-484.19, 56-484.20, and 56-484.21, as follows:

Article 8.
Emergency Calls on Multiline Telephone Systems.

§ 56-484.19. Definitions.

As used in this article:

"Automatic location identification" has the same meaning ascribed to such term in § 56-484.12.

"Call back number" means a number used by the public safety answering point to recontact the location from which the 9-1-1 call was placed.

"CBX" means computerized branch exchange.

"Emergency location identification number" means a valid North American Numbering Plan format telephone number, assigned to the multiline telephone system user or system operator by the appropriate authority, that is used to route the call to a public safety answering point and is used to retrieve the automatic location identification for the public safety answering point.

"Emergency response location" means a location to which an emergency response team may be dispatched, which location shall be specific enough to provide a reasonable opportunity for the emergency response team to locate a caller anywhere within it.

"Enhanced 9-1-1 service" has the same meaning ascribed to such term in § 56-484.12.

"Multiline telephone system" means a private telephone system comprised of common control units, telephones, and control hardware and software that share a common interface to the public switched telephone network, and includes network and premises-based systems and systems owned or leased by governmental agencies and nonprofit entities, as well as for-profit businesses.

"PBX" means private branch exchange.

"Public safety answering point" has the same meaning ascribed to such term in § 56-484.12.

"Shared residential multiline telephone service" means the use of a multiline telephone system to provide service to residential facilities, which, for the purposes of this definition, means both single-family and multifamily facilities including extended care facilities and dormitories.

§ 56-484.20. Liability.

A. A wire line telecommunications service provider, its employees, or its agents shall not be liable to any person who uses enhanced 9-1-1 service for release of subscriber information required under this article to any public safety answering point.

B. A wire line telecommunications service provider shall not be liable to any person for the good faith release to emergency communications personnel of information not in the public record, including, but not limited to, unpublished or unlisted telephone numbers.

C. A wire line telecommunications service provider, its employees, or its agents shall not be liable to any person for civil damages resulting from or caused by any act or omission in the development, design, installation, operation, maintenance, performance, or provision of enhanced 9-1-1 service, except for willful or wanton misconduct.

D. A multiline telephone system manufacturer, provider, or operator shall not be liable for any civil damages or penalties as a result of any act or omission, except willful or wanton misconduct, in connection with developing, designing, installing, maintaining, performing, provisioning, adopting, operating, or implementing any plan or system required by § 56-484.21.

§ 56-484.21. Multiline telephone system 911 requirements.

A. Every owner and operator of a multistation, multiline telephone system shall design and maintain the system to dial the 9-1-1 number without charge to the caller.

B. Except as otherwise provided in this section, every owner and operator of a new multistation, PBX or CBX multiline telephone system purchased after December 31, 2006, shall design and maintain the system to provide a call back number and emergency response location.

C. Each multiline telephone system operator shall demonstrate or otherwise inform each new telephone system user how to call for emergency assistance from that particular multiline telephone system.

D. On and after January 1, 2012, operators of shared multiline telephone systems, whenever installed, serving residential customers shall ensure that the shared multiline telephone system is connected to the public switched telephone network and that 9-1-1 calls from the system result in at least one distinctive automatic number identification and automatic location identification for each residential unit; however, these requirements shall not apply if the residential facility maintains one of the following:

1. Automatic location identification for each respective emergency response location;

2. The ability to direct emergency responders to the 9-1-1 caller's location through an alternative and adequate means, such as the establishment of a 24-hour private answering point; or

3. A connection to a switchboard operator, attendant, or other designated on-site individual.

E. Owners or operators of hotel and motel multiline telephone systems shall permit the dialing of 911 from any system telephone and shall ensure that 9-1-1 calls originating from hotel or motel multiline telephone systems allow the 9-1-1 system to clearly identify the address and specific location, such as the room number, of the 9-1-1 callers.

F. 1. An owner of business multiline telephone systems connected to the public switched telephone network and serving business locations of one employer shall ensure that calls to 9-1-1 from any telephone on the system result in one of the following:

a. Automatic location identification for each respective emergency response location;

b. An ability to direct emergency responders to the caller's location through an alternative and adequate means, such as the establishment of a 24-hour private answering point; or

c. A connection to a switchboard operator, attendant, or other designated on-site individual.

2. Except as provided in subdivision 3, providers of multiline telephone systems serving multiple employers' business locations shall ensure that calls to 9-1-1 from any telephone result in automatic location identification for the respective emergency response location of each business location sharing the system.

3. Only one emergency response location is required in the following circumstances:

a. An employer's workspace is less than 40,000 square feet, located on a single floor and on a single contiguous property;

b. An employer's workspace is less than 7,000 square feet, located on multiple floors, and on a single contiguous property; or

c. An employer's workspace is a single public entrance, single floor facility on a single contiguous property.

G. A multiline telephone system owned or operated by a public or private educational institution, including a system serving dormitories and other residential customers, is subject to this subsection.  The owner or system administrator responsible for the educational institution multiline system connected to the public switched network shall ensure that calls to 9-1-1 from any telephone on the system result in one of the following:

1. Automatic location identification for each respective emergency response location;

2. An ability to direct emergency responders to the 9-1-1 caller's location through an alternative and adequate means, such as the establishment of a 24-hour private answering point; or

3. A connection to a switchboard operator, attendant, or other designated on-site individual.

H. Multiline telephone systems with a single emergency response location are exempt from subsections B and D through G.

I. Multiline telephone system operators that employ alternative methods of enhanced 9-1-1 support are exempt from subsections B and D through G.

J. A multiline telephone system operator may apply for an exemption from the requirements in this section from the chief officer of each public safety answering point serving that locality.

K. The requirements of subsections E, F, and G shall apply to new multiline telephone systems purchased after December 31, 2006. The requirements of subsections C and D and the exemptions in subsections H, I, and J shall apply regardless of when the multiline telephone system was installed.

J.  The requirements of this section apply without regard to whether the technology being utilized is Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP).