The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a bill that promises to speed technology upgrades at thousands of 911 emergency call centers across the country.

The E-911 Implementation Act of 2003 (H.R. 2898), offered by Reps. John Shimkus (R-IL) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), would authorize federal matching grants to state, local and tribal governments for upgrades of 911 equipment, infrastructure and personnel training at designated public safety answering points. States would not be eligible to receive the grants if they are misusing the revenues from existing telephone bill surcharges that are designated for 911 improvements. The bill also would establish a federal 911 office to ensure better coordination among federal, state and local public safety officials. The bill was approved by a unanimous voice vote.

E-911 refers to the ability to capture precise location data from callers and route calls to the closest emergency response centers. According to National Emergency Number Association’s preliminary assessment of the most recent filings at the Federal Communications Commission by wireless carriers, as of Oct. 1, about 18% of the nation's 911 call centers can automatically obtain the precise location of some wireless callers, compared to 93% that can locate wireline callers. The 18% figure is up sharply from 2% at the end of 2002, but carriers and local public safety agencies still have a long way to go to implement this life-saving technology for all wireless consumers in all U.S. communities.

"Enabling our 911 system to accurately locate wireless callers will benefit every American family and community, while enhancing our homeland security," said Richard Taylor, president of the NENA and executive director of the North Carolina Wireless 911 Board. "We applaud the House's action today and urge the Senate to follow suit quickly."

Companion legislation (S. 1250) offered by Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee in July and could come to the full Senate for a vote before the end of the year.

A not-for-profit corporation, the National Emergency Number Association is the only organization dedicated solely to the study, advancement and implementation of 911 as America's universal emergency number. For more information, visit www.nena.org . Another helpful site is www.e911institute.org.