Official Summary Text
AB 1805, as amended, Ransom.
Wireless service providers: network resiliency: minimum service levels.
Emergency services: State 911 Advisory and Oversight Board.
(1) Existing law, the Warren-9-1-1-Emergency Assistance Act, establishes the State 911 Advisory Board (board) to advise the Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) on specified subjects relating to the state’s 911 emergency telephone response system, including the policies, practices, and procedures for California 911 Emergency Communications Office (office). Existing law provides that the board consists of 11 members appointed by the Governor, including the Chief of the Public Safety Communications Division, who serves as the nonvoting chair.
This bill would rename the board as the State 911 Advisory and Oversight Board. The bill would revise the board membership by adding a representative from the Department of Technology and making the
Chief of the Public Safety Communications Division a nonvoting member of the board rather than the chair. The bill would grant the board oversight authority over the office for specified purposes, including the policies, practices, and procedures for the office. The bill would also authorize the board to hire independent experts for its advisory or oversight purposes, as provided.
(2) Existing law requires CalOES to develop a plan and timeline for the testing, implementation, and operation of a Next Generation 911 emergency communication system throughout the state, as provided.
This bill would require CalOES, by specified dates, to submit a quarterly report to the Legislature regarding the development and implementation of the Next Generation 911 system. The bill would require the report to
include specified information, including progress toward, and major challenges facing, the statewide development and implementation of the system.
(3) Existing law establishes the California State Auditor’s Office, headed by the California State Auditor, to conduct performance audits as mandated by statute, as provided.
This bill would require the California State Auditor to conduct an audit, beginning no later than September 1, 2026, of the implementation of the Next Generation 911 system by CalOES, and would specify certain evaluations, including office’s current and prior vetting processes for vendor qualifications. The bill would authorize the California State Auditor to contract with technical experts to complete the audit, and require CalOES to report its findings to specified entities.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law requires the commission, in consultation with the Office of Emergency Services, to develop and implement backup electricity rules to require providers of telecommunications service to submit resiliency plans to maintain backup electricity for their telecommunications infrastructure sufficient to maintain telecommunications service for at least 72 hours, as provided.
This bill would require each wireless service provider, as defined, operating a network located wholly or partially within a high
fire threat district or high earthquake threat district to ensure the continuous capability to provide, during both normal and emergency conditions, specific minimum service levels, including, among other things, outbound access to 911 emergency services and receipt of emergency alerts and public safety notifications. The bill would require each wireless service provider to prepare, maintain, and implement a written network resiliency plan that includes specified elements, and to submit the network resiliency plan to the commission on or before April 1, 2027, and at least triennially thereafter, as specified. The bill would authorize the commission to impose fines, require corrective actions, or take any other authorized enforcement action for a failure to comply with these requirements or an approved network resiliency plan.
Under existing law, a violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the
commission is a crime.
Because a violation of a commission action implementing this bill’s requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.