Last session, a bill was passed called Kari’s Law.
Background: On May 15, 2015, Governor Abbott signed Senate Bill 788 (Kari’s Law). The law represents the culmination of efforts in the aftermath of the murder of Kari Hunt in a motel room in Marshall, Texas. Ms. Hunt’s 9-year-old daughter tried to call 9-1-1 for help four times from the motel room phone. The call never went through because she did not know to first dial “9” for an outbound line before dialing “9-1-1.” On March 1, 2016, Commission on State Emergency Communications Rule 251.16 (Direct Access to 9-1-1 Service) adopted to implement Kari’s Law went into effect.
What this means: As a business owner, you need to contact your provider and the provider can generally do it over the phone.
How to get in compliance: A business can file a waiver for a year to get it done (even though it’s really simply and cost free to make the change).
Additional Resources
- The Commission on State Emergency Communications in Texas oversees the implementation of this law
- Texas 9-1-1 FAQ
- If you need to file a waiver to have more time to comply
