HOUSE PASSES E911 BILL ON VOICE VOTE
The House passed Enhanced 911 (HR-2898) legislation Tues. afternoon as supporters turned their attention toward moving an E911 bill through the Senate. The House bill was passed on the suspension calender on voice vote. Sponsor Rep. Shimkus (R-Ill.) told us there would be challenges in getting a bill to President Bush’s desk since there were significant differences in the Senate companion bill, but said getting the House bill passed might streamline the process. “Clearly, we have a wide gap to bridge,” House Commerce Committee spokesman Ken Johnson said: “But considering people’s lives are at stake, Americans want us to get this bill done now.”
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The bill would provide $100 million in funding per year for 5 years to states and localities that needed support in deploying Phase 2 E911 services, which allow emergency operators to approximate the location of a caller. The funding would be in 50% matching grants. The bill also would prevent states that transferred money from E911 funds to other projects from being eligible for the E911 grants. Several states that collect E911 fees on cellphone bills have moved those funds to meet other budget priorities, a practice that several House members have criticized. The bill also would create a joint coordination office in NTIA and the Transportation Dept.’s National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) to manage the funding and would require the FCC to report on the progress and problems of smaller wireless carriers.
However, the Senate bill (S-1250) by Senate Communications Subcommittee Chmn. Burns (R-Mont.) would devote $500 million per year to E911 deployment. The Senate Commerce Committee already has approved the bill. The White House and House Republicans raised objections to the $100 million-a-year price tag of the House bill, which is one potential area of friction between the 2 chambers, Shimkus said. “In these days of fiscal uncertainty, the challenge will be how much you are willing to push the envelope,” he said. “Additional dollars might cause problems with both the White House and with others on the House side.” Johnson said: “Given the importance of the legislation, we're hopeful that a compromise can be reached.”
Shimkus told us that moving the House bill first might entice the Senate to act more quickly on its bill or simply to consider the House bill. He said he doubted the Senate would consider it this year, but was hopeful that it would move early next year. If it moved early enough, it could be in the President’s budget in Feb., Shimkus said.
On the House floor, Shimkus said the funding level was really “small potatoes” in comparison to what many states are spending on E911 deployment. House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.) said the bill was important because “it’s about saving lives.” “Someone you know, someone you love, will thank you” for this legislation, he said. Rep. Eshoo (D-Cal.) said the coordinating office in NTIA and National Highway Transportation Safety Administration was vital for the effort to work. “If it’s not coordinated, it’s not going to work,” Upton said. “We are motivating the states to join with us.” CTIA and the National Emergency Number Assn. (NENA) said they support the bill.