USC - Coordination of 9–1–1, E9–1–1, and Next Generation 9–1

View all text of Subchapter III [§ 941 - § 942]

§ 942. Coordination of 9–1–1, E9–1–1, and Next Generation 9–1–1 implementation

(a) 9–1–1 Implementation Coordination Office

(1) Establishment and continuationThe Assistant Secretary and the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shall—

(A) establish and further a program to facilitate coordination and communication between Federal, State, and local emergency communications systems, emergency personnel, public safety organizations, telecommunications carriers, and telecommunications equipment manufacturers and vendors involved in the implementation of 9–1–1 services; and

(B) establish a 9–1–1 Implementation Coordination Office to implement the provisions of this section.

(2) Management plan

(A) DevelopmentThe Assistant Secretary and the Administrator shall develop a management plan for the grant program established under this section, including by developing—

(i) plans related to the organizational structure of such program; and

(ii) funding profiles for each fiscal year of the duration of such program.

(B) Submission to CongressNot later than 90 days after February 22, 2012, the Assistant Secretary and the Administrator shall submit the management plan developed under subparagraph (A) to—

(i) the Committees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Appropriations of the Senate; and

(ii) the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

(3) Purpose of OfficeThe Office shall—

(A) take actions, in concert with coordinators designated in accordance with subsection (b)(3)(A)(ii), to improve coordination and communication with respect to the implementation of 9–1–1 services, E9–1–1 services, and Next Generation 9–1–1 services;

(B) develop, collect, and disseminate information concerning practices, procedures, and technology used in the implementation of 9–1–1 services, E9–1–1 services, and Next Generation 9–1–1 services;

(C) advise and assist eligible entities in the preparation of implementation plans required under subsection (b)(3)(A)(iii);

(D) receive, review, and recommend the approval or disapproval of applications for grants under subsection (b); and

(E) oversee the use of funds provided by such grants in fulfilling such implementation plans.

(b) 9–1–1, E9–1–1, and Next Generation 9–1–1 implementation grants

(1) Matching grantsThe Assistant Secretary and the Administrator, acting through the Office, shall provide grants to eligible entities for—

(A) the implementation and operation of 9–1–1 services, E9–1–1 services, migration to an IP-enabled emergency network, and adoption and operation of Next Generation 9–1–1 services and applications;

(B) the implementation of IP-enabled emergency services and applications enabled by Next Generation 9–1–1 services, including the establishment of IP backbone networks and the application layer software infrastructure needed to interconnect the multitude of emergency response organizations; and

(C) training public safety personnel, including call-takers, first responders, and other individuals and organizations who are part of the emergency response chain in 9–1–1 services.

(2) Matching requirement

(3) Coordination requiredIn providing grants under paragraph (1), the Assistant Secretary and the Administrator shall require an eligible entity to certify in its application that—

(A) in the case of an eligible entity that is a State government, the entity—

(i) has coordinated its application with the public safety answering points located within the jurisdiction of such entity;

(ii) has designated a single officer or governmental body of the entity to serve as the coordinator of implementation of 9–1–1 services, except that such designation need not vest such coordinator with direct legal authority to implement 9–1–1 services, E9–1–1 services, or Next Generation 9–1–1 services or to manage emergency communications operations;

(iii) has established a plan for the coordination and implementation of 9–1–1 services, E9–1–1 services, and Next Generation 9–1–1 services; and

(iv) has integrated telecommunications services involved in the implementation and delivery of 9–1–1 services, E9–1–1 services, and Next Generation 9–1–1 services; or

(B) in the case of an eligible entity that is not a State, the entity has complied with clauses (i), (iii), and (iv) of subparagraph (A), and the State in which it is located has complied with clause (ii) of such subparagraph.

(4) Criteria

(1) Designated 9–1–1 charges

(2) Certification

(3) Condition of grant

(4) Penalty for providing false informationAny applicant that provides a certification under paragraph (2) knowing that the information provided in the certification was false shall—

(A) not be eligible to receive the grant under subsection (b);

(B) return any grant awarded under subsection (b) during the time that the certification was not valid; and

(d) Funding and termination

(1) In general

(2) Termination

(e) DefinitionsIn this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) 9–1–1 services

(2) E9–1–1 services

(3) Eligible entity

(A) In general

(B) Instrumentalities

(4) Emergency callThe term “emergency call” refers to any real-time communication with a public safety answering point or other emergency management or response agency, including—

(A) through voice, text, or video and related data; and

(B) nonhuman-initiated automatic event alerts, such as alarms, telematics, or sensor data, which may also include real-time voice, text, or video communications.

(5) Next Generation 9–1–1 servicesThe term “Next Generation 9–1–1 services” means an IP-based system comprised of hardware, software, data, and operational policies and procedures that—

(A) provides standardized interfaces from emergency call and message services to support emergency communications;

(B) processes all types of emergency calls, including voice, data, and multimedia information;

(D) delivers the emergency calls, messages, and data to the appropriate public safety answering point and other appropriate emergency entities;

(E) supports data or video communications needs for coordinated incident response and management; and

(F) provides broadband service to public safety answering points or other first responder entities.

(6) Office

(7) Public safety answering point

(8) State

(Pub. L. 102–538, title I, § 158, as added Pub. L. 108–494, title I, § 104, Dec. 23, 2004, 118 Stat. 3987; amended Pub. L. 110–53, title XXIII, § 2303, Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 543; Pub. L. 110–283, title I, § 102, July 23, 2008, 122 Stat. 2623; Pub. L. 112–96, title VI, § 6503, Feb. 22, 2012, 126 Stat. 237; Pub. L. 117–58, div. B, title IV, § 24215, Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 829.)