I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3844
To 
promote 
and 
enhance 
public 
safety 
through 
use 
of
9–1–1 as the universal emergency assistance number, further deployment
of wireless 9–1–1 service, support of States in upgrading 9–1–1 capabili-
ties and related functions, encouragement of construction and operation
of seamless, ubiquitous and reliable networks for personal wireless serv-
ices, and ensuring access to Federal Government property for such net-
works, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 12, 1998
Mr. TAUZIN (for himself, Mr. MANTON, Mr. STEARNS, Mr. PALLONE, Mr.
KLUG, Mr. GORDON, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. SAWYER, Mr. CRAPO, Mr.
GREEN, Mr. DEAL of Georgia, Mr. ROGAN, Mr. SHIMKUS, and Mr. PICK-
ERING) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Commerce
A BILL
To promote and enhance public safety through use of
9–1–1 as the universal emergency assistance number,
further deployment of wireless 9–1–1 service, support
of States in upgrading 9–1–1 capabilities and related
functions, encouragement of construction and operation
of seamless, ubiquitous and reliable networks for personal
wireless services, and ensuring access to Federal Govern-
ment property for such networks, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of
1998’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings, purpose, and construction.
Sec. 3. Universal emergency telephone number.
Sec. 4. Wireless Communications and Public Safety Fund.
Sec. 5. Assistance to States.
Sec. 6. Research and development on crash information systems.
Sec. 7. Emergency services support from use of Federal property.
Sec. 8. Consultation.
Sec. 9. Parity of protection for provision or use of wireless 9–1–1 service.
Sec. 10. Definitions.
Sec. 11. Authorizations of appropriations and disposition of fees.
Sec. 12. Severability.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS, PURPOSE, AND CONSTRUCTION.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—
(1) the establishment and maintenance of an
end-to-end communications infrastructure among
members of the public, emergency safety, fire service
and law enforcement officials, and hospital emer-
gency and trauma care facilities will reduce response
times for the delivery of emergency care, and there-
by prevent fatalities, substantially reduce the sever-
ity and extent of injuries, reduce time lost from
work, and save thousands of lives and billions of dol-
lars in health care costs;
(2) the rapid, efficient deployment of emergency
telecommunications service requires statewide coordi-
nation of the efforts of local public safety, fire serv-
ice and law enforcement officials, the establishment
of a source of adequate funding for carrier and pub-
lic safety, fire service and law enforcement agency
technology development and deployment, and the
designation of 9–1–1 as the number to call in emer-
gencies throughout the Nation;
(3) emerging technologies such as automatic
crash notification systems can be a critical compo-
nent of the end-to-end communications infrastruc-
ture among emergency medical service providers and
emergency dispatch providers, public safety, fire
service and law enforcement officials, and hospital
emergency and trauma care facilities, to reduce
emergency response times;
(4) improved public safety remains an impor-
tant public health objective of Federal, State, and
local governments and substantially facilitates inter-
state and foreign commerce;
(5) the benefits of wireless communications in
emergencies will be enhanced by—
(A) the establishment of a program to im-
prove safety through grants to States to develop
integrated enhanced wireless 9–1–1 services
and to support State programs to address risks
to the safety of members of the public from
driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal
drugs, driving aggressively, or other driving be-
havior that poses a risk to such safety; and
(B) investments in research on and devel-
opment of automatic crash notification and re-
lated matters;
(6) emergency care systems, particularly in
rural areas of the Nation, will improve with the ena-
bling of prompt notification of emergency services
when motor vehicle crashes occur; and
(7) the construction and operation of seamless,
ubiquitous, and reliable wireless telecommunications
systems promote public safety and provide imme-
diate and critical communications links among mem-
bers of the public, emergency medical service provid-
ers and emergency dispatch providers, public safety,
fire service and law enforcement officials, and hos-
pital emergency and trauma care facilities.
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to encour-
age and facilitate the prompt deployment throughout the
United States of a seamless, ubiquitous, and reliable end-
to-end infrastructure for communications, including wire-
less communications, to meet the Nation’s public safety
and other communications needs.
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—This Act, and the
amendments made by this Act, shall be construed to facili-
tate achievement of the purpose of this Act.
(d) USE
OF EXISTING AUTHORITY CONSISTENT
WITH PURPOSE OF ACT.—The Federal Communications
Commission shall exercise its authority under statutes
other than this Act in a manner that facilitates achieve-
ment of the purpose of this Act.
SEC. 3. UNIVERSAL EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER.
(a) DESIGNATION OF UNIVERSAL EMERGENCY NUM-
BER.—The number 9–1–1 is hereby designated as the uni-
versal emergency telephone number within the United
States for reporting an emergency to appropriate authori-
ties and requesting assistance.
(b) FEDERAL AGENCY USE OF UNIVERSAL EMER-
GENCY NUMBER.—Any department, agency, officer, or in-
strumentality of the United States that establishes or op-
erates a communications system that is available in whole
or in part to members of the public in the United States
for use in reporting emergencies shall use such authority
as may be available to such department, agency, officer,
or instrumentality pursuant to laws other than this Act
to ensure that the communications system—
(1) accommodates the number 9–1–1;
(2) uses the number 9–1–1 for the reporting of
emergencies by members of the public; and
(3) does not designate in communications to the
public any number other than 9–1–1 for the report-
ing of emergencies by members of the public.
SEC. 4. WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC SAFETY
FUND.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
THE WICAPS FUND.—
There is hereby established in the Treasury a fund to be
known as the Wireless Communications and Public Safety
Fund (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘WICAPS
Fund’’).
(b) ADMINISTRATION OF THE WICAPS FUND.—The
Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Ad-
ministration (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the
‘‘Administrator’’) shall administer the WICAPS Fund in
accordance with this Act.
(c) INVESTMENT AND RETENTION OF EARNINGS.—
(1) The Administrator, with the approval of the
Secretary of the Treasury, may invest in accordance
with otherwise applicable law any moneys in the
WICAPS Fund.
(2) Any earnings from investments made under
paragraph (1) shall accrue to the WICAPS Fund.