NET 911 Improvement Act of 2008
Public Law 110-283 · H.R. 3403 · 110th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Jul 23, 2008 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN-6)
Cosponsors (6): Rep. Anna Eshoo, Rep. John Shimkus,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008 or the NET 911 Improvement Act of 2008 - Title I: Services and IP-Enabled Voice Service Providers - (Sec. 101) Amends the IP-Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999 to require IP-enabled voice service providers to provide 9-1-1 service, including enhanced 9-1-1 service, to their subscribers. Grants such providers, in meeting that requirement, the same rights, including rights of interconnection, on the same rates, terms, and conditions, as are provided to a provider of commercial mobile service.
Allows a state or tribal fee for 9-1-1 or enhanced 9-1-1 services, provided it is used only for such services or related enhancements and provided that, for each class of IP-enabled voice services subscribers, the fee does not exceed the fee for the same class of subscribers to telecommunications services. Requires an annual report to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives detailing the status in each state of the collection and distribution of such fees.
Authorizes the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to compile a list of public safety answering point (PSAP) contact information and other information concerning 911 elements to assist IP-enabled voice service providers in complying with requirements imposed by this Act, and to make any portion of the information available to telecommunications carriers, wireless carriers, IP-enabled voice service providers, or other emergency service providers to improve public safety.
Requires the FCC to work cooperatively with public safety organizations, industry participants, and the E-911 Implementation Coordination Office to develop best practices that promote consistency, where appropriate, including procedures for defining PSAP geographic coverage areas, defining network diversity requirements for delivery of IP-enabled 9-1-1 and enhanced 9-1-1 calls, call-handling in the event of call overflow or network outages, PSAP certification and testing requirements, database validation, and the format for delivering address information to PSAPs.
(Sec. 102) Amends the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to require grants for migration to an IP-enabled emergency network. Requires the E-911 Implementation Coordination Office to develop a national plan for migrating to a national IP-enabled emergency network.
Title II: Parity of Protection - (Sec. 201) Amends the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999 to require, for IP-enabled voice service carriers, IP-enabled voice users of 911 communications, and public safety answering points (facilities designated to receive 911 calls and route them to emergency personnel) (PSAPs), parity in liability protection with local exchange companies, non-wireless 911 service users, and non-wireless PSAPs, respectively.
Title III: Authority to Provide Customer Information for 911 Purposes - (Sec. 301) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to authorize a telecommunications carrier to use, disclose, or permit access to call location information in emergencies. Requires IP-enabled voice service providers to provide subscriber list information to emergency service providers.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Energy and Commerce Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Communications and Technology Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 31 actions.
- Jul 23, 2008Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 110-283.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 15, 2008FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jun 23, 2008Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Gordon moved that the House agree to the Senate amendment.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
- Jun 17, 2008FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jun 16, 2008FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Nov 14, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Nov 13, 2007FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 406 - 1 (Roll no. 1084).House roll call 1084
- FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
- FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3403.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Markey moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 273.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 110-442.
- Oct 30, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Oct 10, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .
- CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Sep 19, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Hearings Held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Communications and Technology Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Aug 4, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
- Aug 3, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4982SenateSen. Daniel InouyeD-HI· offered Jun 16, 2008Agreed to
To promote and enhance public safety by facilitating the rapid deployment of IP-enabled 900 and enhanced 911 services, encourage the Nation's transition to a national IP-enabled emergency network, and improve 911 and enhanced 911 access to…
Jun 16, 2008: Amendment SA 4982 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.