H.R. 5201 — Kari's Law Reporting Act
Executive Summary
H.R. 5201, the 'Kari's Law Reporting Act,' requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publish a comprehensive report within 180 days regarding the enforcement of Kari's Law, which mandates direct 911 dialing and notification capabilities for multi-line telephone systems (MLTS). The bill serves as a bipartisan oversight mechanism to evaluate whether MLTS manufacturers and vendors are successfully complying with the 2017 law. By identifying compliance obstacles and soliciting legislative recommendations from the FCC, Congress aims to ensure the life-saving intent of Kari's Law is fully realized in hotels, offices, and campuses nationwide.
Arguments For
- Public Safety Oversight: Ensures accountability for a critical, life-saving law by identifying gaps in 911 accessibility from enterprise phone systems.
- Bipartisan Win: Represents a low-cost, non-controversial oversight measure that demonstrates congressional commitment to public safety and effective agency implementation.
- Actionable Intelligence: Provides Congress with direct feedback from the FCC on whether new statutory authorities are needed to crack down on non-compliant vendors.
Likely Supporters
Arguments Against
- Agency Burden: Adds another statutory reporting mandate to the FCC's workload, diverting staff resources from other enforcement priorities.
- Industry Pushback Risk: MLTS manufacturers and vendors may be concerned that the report will serve as a 'name and shame' exercise or lead to overly prescriptive new hardware regulations.
Likely Opponents
📋 Key Provisions
- Requires the FCC to publish a report on its website within 180 days of enactment detailing the enforcement of Kari's Law (Section 721 of the Communications Act of 1934).
- Mandates the report include a summary of the extent to which multi-line telephone system manufacturers and vendors have complied with the law.
- Directs the FCC to identify potential difficulties and obstacles in complying with the section.
- Requires the FCC to outline potential ways to improve its enforcement policies and provide recommendations to Congress for further legislation to mitigate ongoing problems.
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Requires the FCC to publish the report within 180 days of enactment.
"Not later than 180 days"
The report must summarize compliance by multi-line telephone system manufacturers and vendors.
"multi-line telephone system manufacturers and vendors"
The FCC must provide recommendations to Congress for further legislation.
"recommendations to Congress, if necessary,"