FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Patrick Halley, (703) 812-4600, media@nena.org

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

National Emergency Number Association Applauds Passage of the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008 (HR 3403)

Arlington, V.A. - Yesterday the United States Senate passed the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008 (HR 3403).  The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) applauds the passage of this critical legislation.  NENA CEO Brian Fontes said, "The NET 911 Improvement Act will improve access to 9-1-1 for all Americans and help ensure that our nation's 9-1-1 system is able to keep up with advancements in communications technology.  This legislation will save lives." 

"NENA wishes to express our gratitude to the sponsors of this legislation. In particular, we wish to thank the tireless efforts of Senator Bill Nelson, E9-1-1 Caucus Co-chairs Senators Ted Stevens and Hillary Clinton, fellow co-sponsors Senators Olympia Snowe and Frank Lautenberg, and Commerce Committee Chairman Senator Daniel Inouye, along with their dedicated staff, who worked tirelessly to ensure the passage of the legislation," added Fontes.

Making 9-1-1 service available and effective for all Americans today and in the future as technology advances is a top priority for NENA. Ensuring that emerging technologies are able to seamlessly connect to the 9-1-1 system and that we as a nation are taking steps to advance towards a Next Generation 9-1-1 and emergency communications system must be a national priority.  NENA remains focused on the need for continued deployment of E9-1-1 for all technologies, the need for appropriate liability protections for 9-1-1 telecommunicators and service providers, and the need to ensure adequate funding is available for today's 9-1-1 system as well as the migration to an IP-based Next Generation 9-1-1 system. The New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act is a step in the right direction to make these important priorities a reality.

The House of Representatives is expected to pass the bill later this week. NENA urges the House to follow the lead of the Senate and pass the legislation so that it can be presented to the President and signed into law. 

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 About the National Emergency Number Association

NENA is The Voice of 9-1-1TM. NENA promotes implementation and awareness of 9-1-1 as North America's universal emergency number. NENA is the leading professional non-profit organization dedicated solely to 9-1-1 emergency communications issues. NENA serves its nearly 7,000 members in 48 chapters across the U.S., Canada and Mexico through policy advocacy, establishment of technical and operational standards, certification programs and a broad spectrum of educational offerings.  Find out more at www.nena.org.