Stevens Supports E-911 Bill for VoIP Providers

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) plans to mark up a bipartisan E-911 bill (S-1063) under which VoIP providers would have to give customers access to E-911 services, a panel spokeswoman said. The bill, introduced in May by Sens. Nelson (D-Fla), Burns (R-Mont) and Clinton (D-NY), has a companion House version (HR-2418) sponsored by Reps. Gordon (D-TN), Shimkus (R-II) and Eshoo (D-CA). The Senate bill might be part of a budget reconciliation package set for Oct. 19 markup, or be considered with emergency communications measures that target hurricane relief. But the bill may get a chilly reception in the House, where Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) is said to want to address the issue in his overall telecom bill rather than separately.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Anne Veigle]
(Not available online)