Senators Patterson, Birkholz, Gilbert, Basham, Goschka, Van Woerkom, Kuipers and Olshove offered the following concurrent resolution:

            Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 21.

            A concurrent resolution to urge the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to use its authority post haste to require that Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service providers make enhanced 9-1-1 emergency call services available to all customers.

            Whereas, Access to enhanced 9-1-1 emergency call services is vital to the health and safety of Michigan's citizens. Enhanced 9-1-1 emergency call services route 9-1-1 calls to the designated dispatch center for the caller's location while providing the caller's name, call back number, and location, even when the caller cannot speak; and

            Whereas, The public has an expectation that by dialing 9-1-1 they will immediately reach a trained responder who can provide emergency assistance, regardless of the type of phone service used and whether it operates on the public-switched telephone network, wireless network, or the Internet; and

            Whereas, Many VOIP service providers offer a very limited level of 9-1-1 service or they offer no 9-1-1 service at all. Additionally, there is a very real likelihood that a 9-1-1 call made from a VOIP telephone will be lost, delayed, or misrouted; and

            Whereas, Significant growth in the use and availability of VOIP telephone service, which may be indistinguishable from traditional public-switched telephone service, is expected in the near future. More than four hundred vendors are now selling VOIP; and

            Whereas, The FCC has declared that a certain type of VOIP service is not subject to traditional state public utility regulation. The FCC nullified a state attempt to require a VOIP service provider to offer emergency 9-1-1 service comparable to that provided by incumbent phone companies. The FCC makes clear that it, and not state commissions, has the responsibility and obligation to decide whether certain regulations, including enhanced 9-1-1 rules, apply to Internet Protocol-enabled services like VOIP; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved, by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that we urge the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to use its authority post haste to require that Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service providers make enhanced 9-1-1 emergency call services available to all customers; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Federal Communications Commission.