PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Companies that make, import, sell, or rent multi-line phone systems must only offer systems that are set up so any phone on the system can call 9–1–1 directly. Users must be able to dial 9–1–1 without entering any extra number, code, prefix, or suffix — for example the "9" often used to get an outside line — even if other calls need those extra digits. Installers, managers, and operators must configure systems the same way when they put them in or run them. If the system can do it without hardware or software upgrades, it must also be set to send a notification to a central place in the building or to another person or organization. State or local emergency authorities keep their powers unless they conflict with this federal rule. Enforcement follows the law’s normal enforcement rules, with section 501 used only for fines. "Multi-line telephone system" is defined in section 1471.

Title 47, §623

Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)System manufacture, importation, sale, and lease

A person engaged in the business of manufacturing, importing, selling, or leasing multi-line telephone systems may not manufacture or import for use in the United States, or sell or lease or offer to sell or lease in the United States, a multi-line telephone system, unless such system is pre-configured such that, when properly installed in accordance with subsection (b), a user may directly initiate a call to 9–1–1 from any station equipped with dialing facilities, without dialing any additional digit, code, prefix, or post-fix, including any trunk-access code such as the digit “9”, regardless of whether the user is required to dial such a digit, code, prefix, or post-fix for other calls.

(b)System installation, management, and operation

A person engaged in the business of installing, managing, or operating multi-line telephone systems may not install, manage, or operate for use in the United States such a system, unless such system is configured such that a user may directly initiate a call to 9–1–1 from any station equipped with dialing facilities, without dialing any additional digit, code, prefix, or post-fix, including any trunk-access code such as the digit “9”, regardless of whether the user is required to dial such a digit, code, prefix, or post-fix for other calls.

(c)On-site notification

A person engaged in the business of installing, managing, or operating multi-line telephone systems shall, in installing, managing, or operating such a system for use in the United States, configure the system to provide a notification to a central location at the facility where the system is installed or to another person or organization regardless of location, if the system is able to be configured to provide the notification without an improvement to the hardware or software of the system.

(d)Effect on State law

Nothing in this section is intended to alter the authority of State commissions or other State or local agencies with jurisdiction over emergency communications, if the exercise of such authority is not inconsistent with this chapter.

(e)Enforcement

This section shall be enforced under subchapter V, except that section 501 of this title applies only to the extent that such section provides for the punishment of a fine.

(f)Multi-line telephone system defined

In this section, the term “multi-line telephone system” has the meaning given such term in section 1471 of this title.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (d), was in the original “this Act”, meaning act June 19, 1934, ch. 652, 48 Stat. 1064, known as the Communications Act of 1934, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 609 of this title and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 115–127, § 2(b), Feb. 16, 2018, 132 Stat. 327, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [enacting this section] shall apply with respect to a multi-line telephone system that is manufactured, imported, offered for first sale or lease, first sold or leased, or installed after the date that is 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act [Feb. 16, 2018].”

§623 Configuration of Multi-line Telephone Systems for Direct Dialing of 9–1–1.