Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1998

Summary

Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1998 - Designates 911 as the universal emergency telephone number within the United States for reporting an emergency to appropriate authorities and requesting assistance. Requires any U.S. department, agency, officer, or instrumentality that establishes or operates a communications system that is available to the public for reporting emergencies to ensure that such communications system: (1) accommodates the 911 number; (2) uses such number for the reporting of emergencies by the public; and (3) does not designate any number other than 911 for such use. (Sec. 4) Establishes the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Fund (WICAPS), to be administered by the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Directs the Administrator to make population based grants to States for: (1) payment of costs associated with the acquisition, upgrade, or modification of equipment for the receipt of enhanced wireless 911 service information; (2) payment of costs incurred by nongovernmental entities in providing enhanced wireless 911 service or in acquiring the capability to provide such service; and (3) implementation of other emergency prevention, educational, or pre-hospital emergency programs and related investments. Requires certain certifications by a State's Governor before the receipt of such grants, including a certification that 911 has been designated as the emergency reporting number. Requires an implementation plan from States receiving such grants. Authorizes the Administrator, after submission of an appropriate State plan, to make grants to States to deploy in rural areas a seamless, all-encompassing, and reliable end-to-end infrastructure for communications, including wireless communications, to meet the area's public safety and other communications needs. (Sec. 6) Directs the Administrator to fund from WICAPS investments in the research and development (R&D) of: (1) automatic crash notification systems that use a wireless telephone in the vehicle to transmit crash information to the appropriate emergency personnel; and (2) a uniform wireless telephone interface in motor vehicles that permits the transmission of crash information through a voice-activated wireless telephone. Allows such funds to also be used by trauma centers for the receipt and processing of such crash information. (Sec. 7) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require a U.S. department, agency, officer, or instrumentality, within 60 days after a request, to make property under its jurisdiction or control available to a provider of personal wireless telephone services for the siting of facilities used in providing such services. Specifies exceptions. Provides for: (1) information required as part of such a request; (2) judicial review of the refusal to make property so available; and (3) environmental compliance of property so used. (Sec. 8) Directs the Administrator and the Federal Communications Commission to jointly establish a Wireless Emergency Services Advisory Group to advise on the implementation of this Act and the achievement of its purposes and to submit implementation reports to the Congress. (Sec. 9) Provides immunity from liability, to the same extent as provided to local telephone exchange companies, for providers of wireless 911 service. Provides immunity for users of wireless 911 service to the same extent as provided to users of 911 service that is not wireless. (Sec. 11) Authorizes appropriations: (1) to the NHTSA to carry out this Act; (2) from the WICAPS Fund for grants under this Act; (3) from the WICAPS Fund for R&D investments under this Act; and (4) to the WICAPS Fund to fund such grants and R&D investments.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

No timeline events have been ingested for this record yet.

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

4 official files

• Reported to House amended, Part I

  summary · EN · 2 October 1998

  Open at official source

• Introduced in House (text)

  Introduced in House · EN · 12 May 1998

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House (PDF)

  Introduced in House · EN · 12 May 1998

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 12 May 1998

  Open at official source

Sponsors

No sponsors or actors listed by the source.

Related records

No cross-record relationships stored yet.