I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4672 
To further deployment of Next Generation 9–1–1 services to enhance and 
upgrade the Nation’s 9–1–1 systems, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 18, 2017 
Ms. ESHOO (for herself, Mr. PALLONE, and Mrs. TORRES) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To further deployment of Next Generation 9–1–1 services 
to enhance and upgrade the Nation’s 9–1–1 systems, 
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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Next Generation 9– 
1–1 Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(E) increase the cost effectiveness of oper-
ating the Nation’s 9–1–1 systems. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the Nation’s 9–1–1 professionals perform 
important and lifesaving work every day, and need 
the tools and communications technologies to per-
form the work effectively in a world with new, digital 
communications technologies; 
(2) the transition from the legacy communica-
tions technologies used in the Nation’s 9–1–1 sys-
tems to Next Generation 9–1–1 services is a na-
tional priority and a national imperative; 
(3) the Nation should complete the transition 
described in paragraph (2) as soon as practicable, 
with the goal of having full implementation of Next 
Generation 9–1–1 services not later than 10 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act; 
(4) the Nation should develop a framework that 
facilitates cooperation among Federal, State, and 
local officials on deployment of Next Generation 9– 
1–1 services in order to meet that goal; and 
(5) 9–1–1 authorities and the public safety an-
swering points should have sufficient resources to 
implement Next Generation 9–1–1 services, includ-
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ing resources to support associated geographic infor-
mation systems (commonly known as ‘‘GIS’’), cyber-
security measures, and the necessary training and 
workforce to manage these advanced communica-
tions capabilities. 
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States that— 
(1) Next Generation 9–1–1 services should be 
technologically and competitively neutral; 
(2) Next Generation 9–1–1 services should have 
seamless interoperability, including with respect to 
the transferability of information among public safe-
ty answering points; 
(3) the design and implementation of Next Gen-
eration 9–1–1 services should conform to accredited, 
non-proprietary, consensus-based standards; 
(4) the governance and control of the Nation’s 
9–1–1 systems, including Next Generation 9–1–1 
services, should remain at the State, regional, and 
local level; and 
(5) the American public should receive informa-
tion on how to best utilize Next Generation 9–1–1 
services and on the capabilities and usefulness of 
those services. 
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SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Assist-
ant Secretary’’ means the Assistant Secretary of 
Commerce for Communications and Information. 
(2) BOARD.—The term ‘‘Board’’ means the Ad-
visory Board for Next Generation 9–1–1 Interoper-
ability established under section 7 of this Act. 
(3) FIRST
RESPONDER
NETWORK
AUTHOR-
ITY.—The term ‘‘First Responder Network Author-
ity’’ has the meaning given the term in section 6001 
of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act 
of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1401). 
(4) NATIONWIDE PUBLIC SAFETY BROADBAND 
NETWORK.—The term ‘‘nationwide public safety 
broadband network’’ has the meaning given the term 
in section 6001 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and 
Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1401). 
(5) NEXT GENERATION 9–1–1 SERVICES.—The 
term ‘‘Next Generation 9–1–1 services’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 158 of the Na-
tional Telecommunications and Information Admin-
istration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 942), as 
amended pursuant to this Act. 
(6) OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Office’’ means the 9– 
1–1 Implementation Coordination Office established 
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under section 158 of the National Telecommuni-
cations and Information Administration Organiza-
tion Act (47 U.S.C. 942). 
(7) PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINT.—The 
term ‘‘public safety answering point’’ has the mean-
ing given the term in section 222 of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 222). 
(8) SEAMLESS INTEROPERABILITY.—The term 
‘‘seamless interoperability’’ means that all networks, 
services, and equipment are interoperable and capa-
ble of seamlessly exchanging and processing data, 
including interoperability among and between— 
(A) public service answering points; 
(B) emergency services internet protocol 
networks; 
(C) State, regions, localities, and other ju-
risdictions; 
(D) originating communications networks, 
including wireline telecommunications networks, 
wireless telecommunications networks, internet 
service providers, and voice over internet pro-
tocol service networks; and 
(E) the nationwide public safety broadband 
network. 
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SEC. 6. 9–1–1 IMPLEMENTATION COORDINATION OFFICE. 
(a) ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES.—In addition to 
the responsibilities assigned to the Office under section 
158 of the National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 942), the Of-
fice shall— 
(1) create a clearinghouse of information that 
contains resources and references for both technical 
and nontechnical aspects of development and deploy-
ment of Next Generation 9–1–1 services for Federal, 
State, regional, and local entities to assist with the 
development and deployment of such services; 
(2) provide guidance to Federal, State, regional, 
and local entities with the development and deploy-
ment of Next Generation 9–1–1 services, including 
with respect to— 
(A) model governance structures for Next 
Generation 9–1–1 services; 
(B) network deployment models for seam-
less interoperability of Next Generation 9–1–1 
services; and 
(C) sustainable funding models for Next 
Generation 9–1–1 services; 
(3) help Federal, State, regional, and local 9– 
1–1 entities coordinate acquisitions and procure-
ments related to the deployment of Next Generation 
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9–1–1 services, including the development of model 
requests for proposals and related documents; 
(4) work with the General Services Administra-
tion to determine the feasibility of allowing State, 
regional, and local entities to take advantage of any 
relevant General Services Administration blanket 
purchase agreements for acquisition of equipment 
related to Next Generation 9–1–1 services; and 
(5) work with all relevant Federal departments 
and agencies that operate public safety answering 
points to promote implementation of Next Genera-
tion 9–1–1 services and effective seamless interoper-
ability with other 9–1–1 systems, including Next 
Generation 9–1–1 services operated by Federal, 
State, regional, and local entities. 
(b) COORDINATION.—The Office shall work with all 
relevant Federal departments and agencies, including the 
Federal Communications Commission, the National Insti-
tute of Standards and Technology, the National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, the First Responder Net-
work Authority, and the Department of Homeland Secu-
rity, to coordinate Federal Government activities related 
to the development and deployment of Next Generation 
9–1–1 services at the Federal, State, regional, and local 
level. 
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