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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>66844</law_id><section_number>56-484.16</section_number><catch_line>Local emergency telecommunications requirements; text messages; use of digits &amp;#8220;9-1-1.&amp;#8221;</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>56-484.14</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="56">Public Service Companies</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="15">Telegraph and Telephone Companies</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="7">Enhanced Public Safety Telephone Services Act</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> On or before July 1, 2003, every county, city or town in the Commonwealth shall be served by an E-911 system, unless an extension of time has been granted by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>. <a id="paragraph-242389" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/56-484.16/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> On or before July 1, 2020, each <span class="dictionary">PSAP</span> in the Commonwealth shall deploy equipment, products, and services necessary or appropriate to enable the <span class="dictionary">PSAP</span> to receive and process calls for emergency assistance sent via Short Message Service (SMS) text messages in a manner consistent with FCC <span class="dictionary">Order</span> 14-118 and any other FCC <span class="dictionary">order</span> that affects the deployment of SMS text-to-9-1-1. Upon such deployment, the <span class="dictionary">PSAP</span> shall notify the FCC&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">PSAP</span> Text-to-911 Readiness and Certification Registry. <a id="paragraph-242390" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/56-484.16/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The digits &#x201C;9-1-1&#x2033; shall be the designated emergency telephone number in Virginia. No public safety agency shall advertise or otherwise promote the use of any number for emergency response service other than &#x201C;9-1-1.&#x201D; <a id="paragraph-242391" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/56-484.16/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> All <span class="dictionary">originating service providers</span> required to provide access to 9-1-1 service shall route the 9-1-1 calls of their subscribers to <span class="dictionary">ESInet</span> points of interconnection designated by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>. The <span class="dictionary">Board</span> shall establish points of interconnection at or within the local access and transport area and in proximity of each selective router central office providing E-911 service as of July 1, 2018. Additionally, the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> shall establish a minimum of one pair (two) and a maximum of three pair (six) geographically diverse from their designated pair point of session initiation protocol (SIP) interconnection within the Commonwealth. The <span class="dictionary">Board</span> shall establish <span class="dictionary">ESInet</span> points of interconnection in a manner that minimizes cost to the <span class="dictionary">originating service providers</span> to the extent practicable while still achieving necessary 9-1-1 service and <span class="dictionary">ESInet</span> objectives. <a id="paragraph-242392" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/56-484.16/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> The NG9-1-1 service provider shall receive the 9-1-1 calls delivered by the <span class="dictionary">originating service provider</span> at the designated ESInet points of interconnection and deliver the calls to the appropriate <span class="dictionary">PSAP</span>. The NG9-1-1 service provider shall not charge the <span class="dictionary">originating service provider</span> to connect to the <span class="dictionary">ESInet point of interconnection</span> nor for the delivery of the 9-1-1 calls to the <span class="dictionary">PSAP</span>. The <span class="dictionary">originating service provider</span> responsibility for 9-1-1 calls ends and the <span class="dictionary">PSAP</span> responsibility begins at their respective sides of the <span class="dictionary">ESInet point of interconnection</span>. <a id="paragraph-242393" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/56-484.16/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="F"><p><span class="prefix-number">F.</span> The <span class="dictionary">PSAP</span> shall validate the location of the <span class="dictionary">originating service provider</span> subscribers as necessary to ensure the location exists and will route to the appropriate <span class="dictionary">PSAP</span> if 9-1-1 is dialed. The <span class="dictionary">PSAP</span> shall not charge the <span class="dictionary">originating service provider</span> for such validation. <a id="paragraph-242394" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/56-484.16/#F"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="G"><p><span class="prefix-number">G.</span> No later than July 1, 2023, the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> shall develop and fully implement NG9-1-1 transition plans to migrate <span class="dictionary">PSAPs</span> and <span class="dictionary">originating service providers</span> from E-911 to NG9-1-1. To the extent practicable, the migration of <span class="dictionary">PSAPs</span> will be implemented on a sequential region-by-region basis for those <span class="dictionary">PSAPs</span> served by each legacy E-911 selective router pair. With a minimum of six months&#x2019; written notice to the impacted stakeholders, this date may be extended by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> for <span class="dictionary">good cause</span>. For purposes of this section, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">good cause</span>&#x201D; means an event or events reasonably beyond the ability of the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> to anticipate or control. <a id="paragraph-242395" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/56-484.16/#G"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2000, c. 1064; 2001, c. 713; 2005, c. 942; 2018, cc. 532, 533, 673.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
