Next Generation 9-1-1 Act of 2021 Fact Sheet

  • The Next Generation 9-1-1 Act of 2021, which has been introduced as part of the LIFT America Act, would authorize a nationwide upgrade of 9-1-1 critical infrastructure to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1).
  • This upgrade is necessary to meet the expectations of the tech-enabled 21st Century American public and the first responders who serve them.
  • The bill authorizes a one-time $15 billion Federal grant program to help all communities – be they rural, urban or tribal – implement a secure, resilient, interoperable, and reliable way of receiving, processing, and responding to requests for emergency assistance through NG9-1-1.
  • NG9-1-1 will allow 9-1-1 professionals and first responders to have real-time information – including voice communications, scene-specific information, computer aided dispatch notes, GIS information, and other data – when arriving on-scene regardless of which agency dispatches them. 
  • The bill protects investments that state and local governments have already made in NG9-1-1 deployments.  In fact, this legislation will help maximize the investments already made in NG9-1-1 by ensuring they are interoperable with future deployments, by enabling the addition of multimedia capabilities, and by extending beyond call-handling to complete end-to-end NG9-1-1 solutions.
  • The bill will ensure state and local governments maintain control of 9-1-1 systems and services, while recognizing the federal government’s role in supporting state and local equitable implementation of NG9-1-1 across the nation.
  • The bill recognizes NG9-1-1 cybersecurity as a critical priority, and addresses the widely respected findings of the cybersecurity report produced by the FCC’s Task Force on Optimal PSAP Architecture.  The inability of the public to reach emergency services because of a cyberattack endangers the lives, property, and privacy of those attempting to reach help, as well as the safety of 9-1-1 professionals and first responders. 
  • The bill as introduced will help fix the current unacceptable situation where Emergency Communications Centers have interoperability problems when it comes to transferring voice calls to other Emergency Communications Centers, even when they have deployed Emergency Services IP Networks. 
  • The bill as introduced will authorize public safety practitioners and 9-1-1 professionals to provide recommendations through a Next Generation 9-1-1 Advisory Board to the Federal office that will administer the grant program. A program of this scale and importance requires the development of program requirements, grant guidance, and application criteria that will ensure successful implementation around the country.
  • The bill is supported by the Public Safety Next Generation 9-1-1 Coalition including the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the National Association of State EMS Officials, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, and the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials.