PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 82, 994, 1136 PRINTER'S NO. 3069
2001, 2604
No. 72 Session of 1977
Report of the Committee of Conference
To the Members of the House of Representatives and Senate:
We, the undersigned, Committee of Conference on the part of
the House of Representatives and Senate for the purpose of
considering House Bill No. 72, entitled:
"An act relating to the implementation of the emergency
telephone number '911'; providing a title; providing an intent;
providing for a State plan; providing a system director;
providing for telephone industry coordination; providing for
coin telephone conversion; AND providing for system approval* *
*. PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STATEWIDE EMERGENCY
TELEPHONE NUMBER '911' SYSTEM PLAN."
respectfully submit the following bill as our report:
JOSEPH P. KOLTER
FRED R. MILANOVICH
A. CARVILLE FOSTER, Jr.
(Committee on the part of the House of Representatives.)
JAMES E. ROSS
PAUL McKINNEY
WILLIAM J. MOORE
(Committee on the part of the Senate.)
AN ACT
1 Providing for the development of a Statewide emergency telephone
2 number "911" system plan and establishing the Bureau of
3 Telecommunications with the duties and responsibilities for
4 all telecommunications with State Government.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Emergency
9 Telephone Act."
10 Section 2. Legislative intent.
11 The Legislature hereby finds and declares that it is in the
12 public interest to shorten the time required for a citizen to
13 request and receive emergency aid. There currently exist
14 thousands of different emergency phone numbers throughout the
15 Commonwealth. Providing for a single, primary three-digit
16 emergency number through which emergency services can be quickly
17 and efficiently obtained would provide a significant
18 contribution to law enforcement and other public efforts by
19 making it easier to notify emergency center personnel. Such a
20 simplified means of procuring emergency services will result in
21 the saving of life, and reduction in the destruction of
22 property, and quicker apprehension of criminals. It is the
23 intent of the Legislature to establish and implement a cohesive
24 Statewide emergency telephone number "911" plan which will
25 provide citizens with rapid direct access to public emergency
26 operation centers by dialing the telephone number "911," with
27 the objective of reducing the response time to situations
28 requiring law enforcement, fire, medical, rescue, and other
29 emergency services. It is the intent of the Legislature that
30 said plan be reviewed and enacted into law after proper
1 consideration by the Legislature.
2 Section 3. Definitions.
3 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
4 have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
5 meanings given to them in this section:
6 "Bureau" means the element of telecommunications assigned by
7 the Governor to a statutory administrative department. The
8 director shall report directly to the cabinet level officer or
9 in the time of emergency, to the Lieutenant Governor for the
10 duration of that emergency.
11 "Local government" means any political subdivision or any
12 combination or group thereof.
13 "Public agency" means the State, and any city, county, city
14 and county, municipal corporation, chartered organization,
15 public district, or public authority located in whole or in part
16 within this Commonwealth which provides or has authority to
17 provide fire fighting, law enforcement, ambulance, medical, or
18 other emergency services.
19 "Public safety agency" means a functional division of a
20 public agency which provides fire fighting, law enforcement,
21 medical, or other emergency services.
22 Section 4. State plan.
23 The bureau shall develop a Statewide emergency telephone
24 number "911" system plan, which shall be submitted to the
25 Legislature within 18 months of the effective date of this act
26 for proposed enactment. The plan shall provide for:
27 (1) The public agency emergency telephone communications
28 requirements for each entity of local government in the
29 State.
30 (2) A system to meet specific local government
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1 requirements. Such system shall include law enforcement, fire
2 fighting, and emergency medical services, and may include
3 other emergency services such as poison control, suicide
4 prevention, and civil defense services.
5 (3) Identification of existing "911" systems in
6 operation. Additionally, recommendations for coordinating
7 existing "911" systems and new systems necessitated by the
8 Statewide plan shall be part of the plan.
9 (4) The identification of the mutual aid agreements
10 necessary to obtain an effective "911" system.
11 (5) A cost analysis which shall identify the costs
12 necessary to establish and operate a Statewide "911" system
13 both at the State and local government levels.
14 (6) Recommendations as to how said costs shall be paid
15 and from which sources of revenue. Additionally, the plan
16 shall identify and delineate all existing Federal, State,
17 local, and private funding sources available.
18 (7) A proposed schedule for full implementation of the
19 Statewide emergency telephone number "911" system plan. The
20 schedule shall be designated to permit orderly implementation
21 and accommodate local variances.
22 Section 5. Bureau functions and responsibilities.
23 The statutory administrative department designated by the
24 Governor to carry out the purposes of this act shall publish, in
25 accordance with the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.769, No.240),
26 known as the "Commonwealth Documents Law," the plan and proposed
27 implementation schedules relating to public agencies for
28 implementing and administering the plan for public comment and
29 review. The bureau shall have a director and technical staff who
30 are telecommunication professionals certified and employed
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1 through the Civil Service Commission with the responsibility of
2 carrying out the provisions of this act. The director shall
3 coordinate the plan development and implementation of the system
4 with State, county, local, and private agencies. For the
5 purposes of this act, the director is authorized to employ
6 professional and clerical persons in such staff capacities as
7 required for administrative or project team operations and to
8 hire professional consultants pursuant to the limitations
9 prescribed in the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known
10 as "The Administrative Code of 1929". The director shall also
11 coordinate with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and
12 with the Pennsylvania telephone utility or utilities involved
13 for a timely implementation of "911". Nothing contained in this
14 act shall be construed, or is intended to be construed, to limit
15 the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
16 over the Pennsylvania telephone utility involved or in such
17 utility's participation in said implementation of "911".
18 Section 6. Funding.
19 The funds necessary to support the functions, duties and
20 responsibilities of all telecommunications services and support
21 activities of the Commonwealth for the fiscal year 1977-1978
22 shall be transferred from the appropriate budgets to the
23 statutory department designated by the Governor. Future years
24 funding shall be provided by the agencies under the Governor's
25 jurisdiction, equipment and/or support.
26 Section 7. Effective date.
27 This act shall take effect immediately.
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