What is Ray Baum’s Act?
Ray Baum served in several important state and federal public roles throughout his career, including serving as Staff Director on the Energy and Commerce Committee, working on telecommunications issues with the FCC. Unfortunately, Ray Baum passed away after a long battle with cancer in 2018. In recognition of his significant contributions to the telecommunications industry, Ray Baum’s Act was named in his honor. It is also an acronym that stands for Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services.
Ray Baum’s Act was signed into law in 2018 and emphasized the importance of sharing precise location information when calling 911, which is invaluable to first responders in locating callers and can dramatically increase the potential for better emergency outcomes.
Section 506 of the act requires that the FCC consider adopting rules to ensure “dispatchable location” information is conveyed with all emergency 911 calls. Dispatchable location information includes the caller’s street address and additional information, such as a room or floor number or similar information necessary to identify the caller’s location adequately.
Am I Affected by Ray Baum’s Act?
Like Kari’s Law, Ray Baum’s Act impacts any company that provides MLTS service and enterprises of any size using an MLTS. This can include companies with multiple office locations, campuses, hospitals, hotels, retail facilities, and financial institutions.
How Do I Know If I’m Compliant?
The National 911 Program with the FCC have developed user-friendly tools to provide the following:
- An overview of legislation
- Detailed lists of state laws, FCC rules and terms
- Compliance rules and deadlines
- Interactive checklists to track progress toward compliance
Additional Resources
For more information on Ray Baum’s Act, visit the following:
- FCC’s MLTS 911 Requirements
- Check out our post on Kari’s Law here
