What's happening
This bill requires public buildings with multi-line phone systems to enable direct 911 dialing or post instructions if not possible.
Why it matters
Improves emergency response access. By requiring public buildings with multi-line phone systems to enable direct 911 dialing, the bill addresses delays and confusion that can occur when users must dial additional numbers (like '9' for an outside line) before reaching emergency services.
Covers a wide range of government buildings. The law applies to all public buildings at every level of government—including schools, libraries, and municipal offices—potentially impacting thousands of locations and increasing overall public safety.
Balances safety with financial feasibility. Buildings that would need expensive hardware upgrades are exempt from the direct-dial requirement but must clearly post instructions near every phone, ensuring users know exactly how to reach 911 even if direct dialing isn’t possible.
Standardizes compliance and transparency. By specifying what qualifies as a multi-line system and how notifications must be displayed, the bill creates consistent expectations for both public employees and visitors, reducing uncertainty in emergency situations.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Direct 911 Calls in Schools
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 3
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Direct 911 Dialing in Buildings
In Senate Committee · Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs · Sponsor Amy Paulin
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
932
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 5, 2017
Introduced by Sen. CROCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to direct dialing to public service answering points
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 717-a to read as follows:
§ 717-a. Direct dialing to public service answering points. 1. For purposes of this section, "public building" shall mean any building belonging to the state, county, town, village, school district or any other political or civil subdivision of state or local government.
2. For purposes of this section, "multi-line telephone system" shall mean any system comprised of common control units, telephone sets, control hardware and software, and adjunct systems which enables users to make and receive telephone calls using shared resources such as telephone network trunks or data link bandwidth. This term includes, but is not limited to, network-based and premises-based systems such as Centrex service, premises-based, hosted and cloud-based VoIP, as well as PBX, Hybrid and Key Telephone Systems, as classified by the FCC under Part 68 of its rules.
3. All public buildings which operate on a multi-line telephone system in this state must configure their multi-line telephone system hardware to allow any call to 911 on the system to be directly connected to a public service answering point.
4. The requirements of subdivision three of this section shall not apply to any public building operating on a multi-line telephone system that would be required to upgrade the hardware of their telephone network to meet said requirement. However, every telephone in any exempt public building operating on a multi-line telephone system shall place
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00843-01-7
S. 932 2
an instructional sticker on or immediately adjacent to each telephone informing users of the phone's inability to directly dial 911 and the procedures to follow to connect to a 911 public service answering point in case of an emergency.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to direct dialing to public service answering points
Purpose
This bill requires that public buildings with multi-line telephone systems configure their system hardware in order to allow any call placed to 911, to be directly connected to a public service answering point. No public building would be required to update their system hard- ware as a result of this legislation. Rather, entities with phone systems that can not be converted, would be required to post a notice on or around the telephone alerting users to the procedures to follow in case of an emergency.
Summary of provisions
Section one adds a new section, 717-a, to the Executive Law. This section defines "public building" and "multi-line telephone system"; requires all public buildings operating on a multi-line telephone system to configure their system hardware to allow any call to 911 on the system to be directly connected to a public service answering point. An exception exists for any business or public building that would be required to upgrade their system hardware in order to comply, by allow- ing such business or public building to place an instructional sticker on or around the telephone informing users of the phone's inability to directly dial 911 and the procedures to follow in case of an emergency.
Section two provides that this act shall take effect after 90 days.
Justification
Citizens of our state expect that if they dial 911 in an emergency, that they will be connected to a public service answering point, and that emergency assistance will be dispatched. However, this is not always the case when an individual calls 911 from a multi-line telephone system. Multi-line telephone systems often require users to dial additional numbers in order to be connected to an outside line. These telephone systems are commonly found in public office buildings and schools.
In order to ensure that precious time is not wasted in an emergency, multi-line telephone systems should be converted to allow users to directly dial 911. In the event that a public building does not have a system that is capable of converting, that entity should place an instructional sticker on or around the telephone alerting users of the steps to take to make an emergency telephone call.
Legislative history
S.3986E of 2015/16: Reported to Finance
Fiscal implications
None to the state
Effective date
This act shall take effect 90 days after becoming law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.