MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Judiciary B

By: Representatives Fredericks, Clarke, Thomas

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 19-5-319, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE REQUIREMENT THAT ALL EMERGENCY TELEPHONE (911) CALLS AND TAPES CONTAINING RECORDS OF SUCH CALLS BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL; TO MAKE SUCH RECORDS AVAILABLE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY PURPOSES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 19-5-319, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

19-5-319.  (1) Automatic number identification (ANI), automatic location identification (ALI) and geographic automatic location identification (GeoALI) information that consist of the name, address and telephone number of telephone or wireless subscribers shall be confidential, and the dissemination of the information contained in the 911 automatic number and location data base is prohibited except for the following purpose: the information will be provided to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) on a call-by-call basis only for the purpose of handling emergency calls or for training, and any permanent record of the information shall be secured by the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and disposed of in a manner which will retain that security, except upon court order or subpoena from a court of competent jurisdiction or as otherwise provided by law.

(2) Local E911 providers and Public Safety Answering Points shall release all records and tapes to the person making the 911 call, the persons receiving service or next of kin, and any third party to whom the caller and the recipients of service or next of kin gives permission. Next of kin may give such permission only when the caller or recipient is deceased or incapacitated.

(3) Local E911 providers and PSAP shall release any records necessary to establish accountability for the emergency 911 telephone service calls and responses to calls including number of calls, number of responses, response times, number of times minimum standards are exceeded, disposition of calls, nature of call, time of day of call, date of call, street location of call, number of complaints made regarding 911 service. Not less than monthly reports shall be made available to the public on or before the fifth day following the end of the month.

(4) Local E911 providers and PSAP's shall establish a mechanism for grievance procedures, with an independent investigation and a written report to the person filing the grievance.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2000.