59–006 

114TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 114–579 

KARI’S LAW ACT OF 2016 

MAY 23, 2016.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. UPTON, from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

together with 

MINORITY VIEWS 

[To accompany H.R. 4167] 

The Committee on Energy and Commerce, to whom was referred 

the bill (H.R. 4167) to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to 

require multi-line telephone systems to have a default configuration that permits users to directly initiate a call to 9–1–1 without 

dialing any additional digit, code, prefix, or post-fix, and for other 

purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon 

with amendments and recommend that the bill as amended do 

pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Purpose ..................................................................................................................... 2 

Background and Need for Legislation .................................................................... 3 

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 3 

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 3 

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 3 

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 4 

Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives .................................... 4 

New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures ............. 4 

Earmark, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits ............................. 4 

Committee Cost Estimate ....................................................................................... 4 

Congressional Budget Office Estimate ................................................................... 4 

Federal Mandates Statement ................................................................................. 4 

Duplication of Federal Programs ............................................................................ 4 

Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings ..................................................................... 5 

Advisory Committee Statement .............................................................................. 5 

Applicability to Legislative Branch ........................................................................ 5 

Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation ...................................................... 5 


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Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ..................................... 6 

Minority Views ......................................................................................................... 8 

The amendments are as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Kari’s Law Act of 2016’’. 

SEC. 2. CONFIGURATION OF MULTI-LINE TELEPHONE SYSTEMS FOR DIRECT DIALING OF 9- 

1-1. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Title VII of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 601 et 

seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘SEC. 721. CONFIGURATION OF MULTI-LINE TELEPHONE SYSTEMS FOR DIRECT DIALING OF 

9-1-1. 

‘‘(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 Act. 

‘‘(e) ENFORCEMENT.—This section shall be enforced under title V, except that section 501 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 ‘multiline telephone system’ has the meaning given such term in section 6502 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1471).’’. 

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply beginning on the date that is 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Amend the title so as to read: 

A bill to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require 

multi-line telephone systems to have a configuration that permits 

users to directly initiate a call to 9-1-1 without dialing any additional digit, code, prefix, or post-fix, and for other purposes. 

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

H.R. 4167, Kari’s Law Act of 2016, requires multi-line telephone 

systems (MLTS) to have a default configuration that permits users 

to directly initiate a call to 9-1-1 without dialing any additional 

digit, code, or prefix. The bill also requires a MLTS to notify a central point of contact for the system when a user dials 9-1-1. 


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BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

Multi-Line Telephone Systems (MLTS) serve multiple telephone 

users at a single site, often an office building, hotel, university 

campus, or similar location. One common feature of MLTS is the 

configuration that permits shorter dialing sequences within the 

system by requiring a user to dial a digit or prefix to reach a number outside of the system—that is, dial ‘‘9’’ before reaching an outside line. Thus, on some MLTS a user may have to dial the prefix 

when attempting to make an emergency call. 

In December 2013, Kari Hunt was killed by her estranged husband in a motel room in Texas. Her daughter repeatedly attempted 

to dial 9-1-1 from the motel room, but was unable to reach emergency responders because the motel’s MLTS required users to dial 

‘‘9’’ to reach an outside line. Kari’s Law seeks to ensure that this 

situation does not result in confusion in the heat of an emergency, 

preventing others from accessing essential emergency services from 

an MLTS phone. While many hotels and office buildings have 

begun to make this change to their systems, this bill would make 

it a universal requirement. 

H.R. 4167 requires that all MLTS have a default configuration 

that allows users to directly dial 9-1-1, without the need for any 

additional digit or prefix, from any phone with dialing facilities. In 

addition, the system must also be configured to notify a designated 

central point of contact when someone initiates a call to 9-1-1 using 

the system. By notifying a central point of contact, emergency responders are better able to access, locate, and assist a caller who 

initiates a 9-1-1 call within the MLTS. 

HEARINGS

On April 13, 2016, the Subcommittee on Communications and 

Technology held a hearing on H.R. 4167. The Subcommittee received testimony from: 

• Hank Hunt, father of Kari Hunt; and 

• Steve Souder, Director, Fairfax County, VA 9-1-1 Center. 

COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

Representative Gohmert introduced H.R. 4167 on December 3, 

2015. 

On April 18 and 19, 2016, the Subcommittee on Communications 

and Technology met in open markup session and forwarded H.R. 

4167 without amendment, to the full Committee by a voice vote. 

On April 26, 27, and 28, 2016, the full Committee on Energy and 

Commerce met in open markup session. Chairman Walden and 

Ranking Member Eshoo offered an amendment to the bill to more 

accurately reflect the technical configuration of MLTS, and to allow 

for a central point of contact not located at the MLTS facility. The 

amendment was adopted and the Committee ordered H.R. 4167 reported to the House, as amended, by a voice vote. 

COMMITTEE VOTES

Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires the Committee to list the record votes on the motion 


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to report legislation and amendments thereto. No recorded votes 

were taken on this legislation. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee held a hearing and made findings that are reflected in this report. 

STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The goal and objective of H.R. 4167 is to ensure that MLTS allow 

callers to directly initiate calls to 9-1-1 without dialing a prefix or 

an additional digit. 

NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX

EXPENDITURES

In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee finds that H.R. 4167 

would result in no new or increased budget authority, entitlement 

authority, or tax expenditures or revenues. 

EARMARK, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED TARIFF BENEFITS

In compliance with clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the 

Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee finds that 

H.R. 4167 contains no earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited 

tariff benefits. 

COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE

The Committee adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by 

the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. At the time this report was filed, the estimate was not available. 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE

At the time this report was filed, the cost estimate prepared by 

the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 was not available. 

FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 

pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 

DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS

No provision of H.R. 4167 establishes or reauthorizes a program 

of the Federal Government known to be duplicative of another Federal program, a program that was included in any report from the 

Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to section 

21 of Public Law 111–139, or a program related to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. 


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DISCLOSURE OF DIRECTED RULE MAKINGS

The Committee estimates that enacting H.R. 4167 does not direct 

any rule making within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 551, as specified 

in Section 2(a). 

ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this legislation. 

APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to the 

terms and conditions of employment or access to public services or 

accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Short title 

Section 1 provides that the Act may be cited as the ‘‘Kari’s Law 

Act of 2016.’’ 

Section 2. Configuration of multi-line telephone systems for direct 

dialing of 9-1-1 

Section 2(a) adds a new Section 721 to the Communications Act 

of 1934, as amended. 

New Section 721(a) requires that any person manufacturing, selling, importing, or leasing multi-line telephone systems only do so 

if the system is pre-configured in a way that a user may directly 

initiate a call to 9-1-1 without dialing any additional digits or prefixes. This section applies to any system that is sold, leased, offered, or imported for use in the United States after the effective 

date. This includes systems that have call control located outside 

of the U.S., but have terminals or end points in the U.S. While systems are required to be pre-configured with the default dialing pattern described in this section, it does not preclude the inclusion of 

additional optional dialing patterns to reach 9-1-1 (e.g. (9)9-1-1). 

However, if the system is configured with these additional dialing 

patterns, they must be in addition to the default pattern. 

New Section 721(b) requires that any person who installs, operates, or manages a MLTS only do so if the system is configured 

such that a user may directly initiate a call to 9-1-1 without any 

additional digit or prefix. This section also applies to systems installed, managed, or operated for use in the United States. 

New Section 721(c) requires that systems be configured to provide a notification to either a central location at the facility where 

the system is located, or to a contact person or organization regardless of location. This section is intended to assist first responders 

in their emergency response by providing access and information 

needed to locate the caller. This can be particularly important in 

large buildings like hotels, hospitals, and schools, where on-site 

personnel are uniquely suited to provide information about the 

building and its occupants. This provision requires the system to 

designate a central point of contact, but allows the MLTS owner or 


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operator some flexibility in determining the most appropriate contact, whether in the building or otherwise. 

This subsection only applies to systems where the configuration 

is achievable without an improvement to the hardware or software 

of the system. The Committee intends this provision to include upgrades to the core systems of a MLTS, but not the addition of additional extensions or lines. The Committee also intends this provision to apply to substantial upgrades to the software, particularly 

those requiring a significant purchase. Minor software upgrades 

that are easily achieved or are made to improve the security of the 

system would not be considered an ‘‘improvement’’ for the purposes 

of this section. The legislation seeks to balance the need for an onsite notification with the goal of not placing an undue burden on 

MLTS owners or operators. 

New Section 721(d) clarifies that this legislation does not alter 

the authority of state or local agencies with jurisdiction over emergency communications, as long as that authority isn’t exercised in 

a manner inconsistent with this legislation. 

New Section 721(e) allows for enforcement under Title V of the 

Communications Act, but only to the extent that the section allows 

for the imposition of a fine. 

New Section 721(f) defines multi-line telephone system by crossreferencing the definition in Section 6502 of the Middle Class Tax 

Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. 

Section 2(b) sets an effective date for the changes at two years 

after the date of enactment of the Act. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is printed in italic 

and existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 

roman): 

COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1934 

* * * * * * * 

TITLE VII—MISCELLANEOUS 

PROVISIONS 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 721. CONFIGURATION OF MULTI-LINE TELEPHONE SYSTEMS FOR 

DIRECT DIALING OF 9-1-1. 

(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 


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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 trunkaccess 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 Act. 

(e) ENFORCEMENT.—This section shall be enforced under title V, 

except that section 501 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 6502 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act 

of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1471). 

* * * * * * * 


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1See Children Tried to Save Mother as She was Murdered by Their Dad but Couldn’t get 

Through to 911, Gail Shortland, Mirror (Apr. 26, 2015) (online at http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/ 

real-life-stories/children-tried-save-mother-murdered-5568686) 

MINORITY VIEWS 

Democrats support the basic premise for the introduction of H.R. 

4167, the ‘‘Kari’s Law Act of 2015’’: no one should be left unable to 

call for help or to believe erroneously that they have called for help, 

simply because their call to 9-1-1 was made on a phone system that 

is not fully configured to communicate directly with a 9-1-1 answering point or service. 

A simple first step towards remedying this problem is outlined 

in H.R. 4167. Specifically, this measure would require that callers 

using multi-line telephone systems (MLTS) be able to call for help 

or assistance directly by dialing or phoning 9-1-1 on these systems, 

without having to dial another digit first. 

MLTSs have another shortcoming that also risks lives. Many of 

these systems do not provide first responders with the location of 

the caller. In an emergency situation, every second counts. Not 

knowing a precise or even an approximate location from where a 

call for assistance has been placed is likely to add to or delay life 

and property-saving response times, or worse yet render them too 

late to have any real impact or effect. 

Due to this particular shortcoming, Congress should take an additional and very important step: to require that MLTSs provide location information directly to emergency responders. These two actions, taken together, will ensure that callers not only reach emergency responders in a faster manner, but guarantee that the responders will immediately know where to go without additional notifications. 

BACKGROUND

H.R. 4167 is named after Kari Dunn, a mother of three, who was 

fatally stabbed by her estranged husband while visiting him in a 

hotel near their home. During the altercation, Kari’s nine-year-old 

daughter attempted to dial 9-1-1, but she did not know that the hotel’s system required that she dial ‘‘9’’ before ‘‘9-1-1.’’ Kari’s daughter tried to dial 9-1-1 four times, but was unsuccessful each time. 

Only after guests in an adjacent room heard the attack were the 

police notified.1


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2See ETX Man Campaigns for 911 Reform After Daughter’s Murder, Sara Machi, KTBS-TV 

(Apr. 4, 2015) (online at http://ktbs.com/story/24648521/etx-man-campaigns-for-911-reform-afterdaughters-murder?clienttype=generic&mobilecgbypass). 3See American Hotel & Lodging Association, Industry 911 Dial-Through Update (Mar. 25, 

2014) (online at http://ahla.com/uploadedFiles/Industry911Dial(2).pdf). 4 Id. 

5 Id. 

6 Id. 

This issue is common among the MLTSs found in hotels and office buildings.2 In March 2014, the American Hotel and Lodging 

Association (AH&LA), conducted a survey of U.S. properties regarding emergency dialing procedures.3 Of the 52,500 U.S. properties that AH&LA contacted, 6000 properties responded. Thirtytwo percent of independent properties and 45 percent of franchised 

properties indicated that guests could dial 9-1-1 directly from their 

guestrooms.4

AH&LA also convened a task force on the issue and developed 

an industry recommendation. The industry recommendation ‘‘encourages lodging properties to review their current telephone systems to ensure that when 9-1-1 is directly dialed, without using an 

access code, from a guestroom phone, the guest is connected to 

emergency services personnel and/or a hotel employee.’’ 5 If changes 

to systems are not ‘‘readily achievable,’’ AH&LA encourages properties to ‘‘make efforts and develop policies that facilitate summoning emergency services without delay.’’ 6

ANALYSIS

H.R. 4167, as introduced by Representative Gohmert (R–TX) 

with bipartisan support, requires that all MLTSs made or imported 

into the U.S. have a default configuration that allows a user to directly call 9-1-1 without having to dial an additional digit, code, 

prefix, or post-fix. The bill also requires MLTS installers to configure the system to provide a notification to a central location 

when 9-1-1 is called, as long as the system can be reconfigured 

without improvements to the MLTS’s hardware. The law would 

take effect two years after the date of enactment. 

H.R. 4167 was amended at full Energy and Commerce markup 

on April 28, 2016. The changes add a direct 9-1-1 dialing requirement for installers, managers, and operators of MLTSs. The 

amendment also modified the on-site notification provision to allow 

the central location for such notifications to occur off-site or to another person or organization, and to preserve local or state authority. Democrats supported these changes because they better define 

the responsibilities of the various parties involved with MLTSs, in 

addition to the manufacturer. 

Communications and Technology Subcommittee Ranking Member Eshoo (D–CA) offered an amendment at both the Subcommittee 

and full Committee markups that would take the next steps forward. The amendment would have required the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to begin a proceeding within 180 days 

of enactment regarding the location accuracy of MLTSs systems. 

Ranking Member Eshoo agreed to withdraw her amendment 

after Subcommittee Chairman Walden (R–OR) and Representative 

Shimkus (R–IL) committed to work with her on the location issue 

in a separate bill. The Democratic members of the full Committee 


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desire and are eager to move forward quickly with next steps at 

the FCC to study and remedy the underlying technical and 

logistical shortcomings and problems as expeditiously as possible. 

FRANK PALLONE, Jr., 

Ranking Member, Committee 

on Energy and Commerce. 

ANNA G. ESHOO, 

Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. 

Æ 


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