Sec. 771A.001. DIRECT ACCESS TO 9-1-1 SERVICE REQUIRED. (a) In this chapter:

(1) "9-1-1 service" means a communications service that connects users to a public safety answering point through a 9-1-1 system.

(2) "Business service user" means a user of business service that provides telecommunications service, including 9-1-1 service, to end users through a publicly or privately owned or controlled telephone switch.

(3) "Commission" means the Commission on State Emergency Communications.

(4) "Emergency communication district" means:

(A) a public agency or group of public agencies acting jointly that provided 9-1-1 service before September 1, 1987, or that had voted or contracted before that date to provide that service; or

(B) a district created under Subchapter B, C, D, F, or G, Chapter 772.

(5) "Internet Protocol enabled service" has the meaning assigned by Section 51.002, Utilities Code.

(6) "Telephone system" includes a multiline telephone system.

(b) This section applies to the extent the section is not inconsistent with or preempted by federal law.

(c) Notwithstanding any other law, a business service user that owns or controls a telephone system or an equivalent system that uses Internet Protocol enabled service and provides outbound dialing capacity or access shall configure the telephone system or equivalent system to allow a person initiating a 9-1-1 call on the system to directly access 9-1-1 service by dialing the digits 9-1-1 without an additional code, digit, prefix, postfix, or trunk-access code.

(d) A business service user that provides residential or business facilities, owns or controls a telephone system or an equivalent system that uses Internet Protocol enabled service, and provides outbound dialing capacity or access shall configure the telephone system or equivalent system to provide a notification to a central location on the site of the residential or business facility when a person within the residential or business facility dials 9-1-1 if the system is able to be configured to provide the notification without an improvement to the system's hardware. This subsection does not require a business service user to have a person available at the central location to receive a notification.

(e) The commission or the applicable emergency communication district shall grant a one-year waiver of the requirements under this section to a business service user if:

(1) the requirements would be unduly and unreasonably cost prohibitive for a business service user to comply with; and

(2) the business service user provides an affidavit not later than September 1 of each year stating:

(A) the manufacturer and model number of the telephone system or equivalent system that needs to be reprogrammed or replaced;

(B) that the business service user made a good faith attempt to reprogram or replace the system; and

(C) if the telephone system or equivalent system does not comply with Subsection (c), that the business service user agrees to place an instructional sticker immediately adjacent to each telephone that is accessed using the noncompliant system indicating that during the waiver period the telephone is unable to directly dial 9-1-1 and providing instructions for accessing 9-1-1 in case of an emergency. The instructional sticker must be printed in at least 16-point boldface type in a contrasting color using a font that is easily readable.

(f) The commission may adopt rules to implement this section for areas that are governed by a regional plan, and an emergency communication district may adopt those rules in accordance with Section 771.062.

(g) On the request of the business service user, the commission, an emergency communication district, or a home-rule municipality that independently operates a 9-1-1 system shall provide assistance to a business service user that is within the applicable governmental entity's jurisdiction in complying with this section.

Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 21 (S.B. 788), Sec. 2, eff. May 15, 2015.