02.22.12 – The President has signed into law The Next Generation 9-1-1 Advancement Act of 2012 which was passed as part of The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 [P.L. 112-96]. The Act amends Section 158 of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 942) in order to establish a 9-1-1 Implementation Coordination Office responsible for the coordination of 9-1-1 services, including Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1), Next Generation (NG9-1-1), and Internet Protocol (IP) related emergency services in addition to the facilitation of grant programs for state, local and tribal entities providing these services. The P.L. 112-96 requires that yearly reports be submitted to Congress concerning the efforts taken by the 9-1-1 Implementation Coordination Office to “improve coordination and communication with respect to the implementation of 9-1-1 services, E9-1-1 services, and Next Generation 9-1-1 services.” One year following implementation, the Office of 9-1-1 Implementation Coordination and the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are required to submit a report analyzing multiple factors of NG9-1-1 including cost requirements, potential allocation of funds, the state of service readiness for implementation of NG9-1-1, the needs for people with disabilities, and standards needed for the incorporation of Voiceover IP and Real-Time Text within NG9-1-1. [Source: GovTrack.us]
