Kari’s Law & RAY BAUM’s Act: Strengthening 911 Calling
In August 2019, the FCC implemented two key federal laws designed to improve emergency calling from multi-line telephone systems (MLTS) commonly found in office buildings, hotels, universities, and large facilities. These statutes ensure that 911 calls are connected quickly and provide first responders with accurate caller location details.
Kari’s Law
Effective Date: February 16, 2020
Key Requirement: Direct dialing to 911 without needing a prefix (such as dialing “9” first).
Notification Requirement: MLTS must send an alert when a 911 call is made. The alert should include:
- Callback number
- Caller’s location
- Notification to a central point (e.g., security desk, front desk, or monitoring service).
Background: Named after Kari Hunt, who was murdered in 2013. Her daughter’s repeated attempts to call 911 from a motel phone failed because the system required dialing “9” first.
Impact: Ensures anyone, including children, can directly reach emergency services without obstacles.
RAY BAUM’S Act
Focus: Caller location accuracy
Dispatchable Location: Must include a validated street address plus additional information such as:
- Floor
- Suite
- Apartment
- Room number
Goal: Enable public safety answering points (PSAPs) to quickly and precisely locate callers within large or complex buildings.
Impact: Saves time for first responders and ensures emergencies are not delayed by vague or incomplete location information.
Tools & Resources: The National 911 Program (in partnership with the FCC) provides resources for: PSAP/ECC administrators MLTS manufacturers & vendors Service providers & enterprises
These resources outline requirements, compliance responsibilities, and penalties for non-compliance.
✅ Why It Matters: Together, Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’S Act eliminate barriers to dialing 911 and ensure responders can locate callers quickly—critical steps in saving lives during emergencies.
COMPLIANT WITH THE LATEST NG-911 LAWS?
Kari’s Law and Ray Baum’s Act are two FCC statutes designed to make it easier for callers to reach 911 and for emergency services to locate callers in a large facility like an office building, hotel or university campus.
Kari’s Law requires that any building with a multi-line telephone system (MLTS) must allow callers to dial 911 directly (without needing to dial “9” to get an outside line, for example).
When a 911 call is made, the system must also send a notification to a central location like a front desk or security kiosk and include a callback number and information about the caller’s location.
PSAPs/ECCs, businesses, and educational facilities do not need to change their MLTS to comply with Kari’s Law regulations.
RAY BAUM’S Act requires that a “dispatchable location” is passed along with every 911 call to a PSAP/ECC, regardless of the technology platform. This includes 911 calls from an MLTS.
A dispatchable location means a validated street address of the person calling and additional information such as a room or floor number.
However, these rules do not apply to wireless providers who are subject to separate location accuracy requirements and benchmarks.
Alyssa’s Law is also now in effect in Florida, New Jersey, and now in Texas that requires the staff to wear mobile ‘panic buttons’ specifically in schools by 2025-2026 school year to provide critical situational awareness direct to public safety in the event of an emergency.
Kari’s Law
& RAY BAUM’S Act
Compliance Checklist
This checklist helps schools determine whether their phone and emergency calling systems comply with Kari’s Law and the RAY BAUM’S Act, while ensuring rapid response during emergencies. It evaluates whether 911 calls:
- Provide direct dialing without prefixes Instantly notify on-site personnel
- Transmit accurate, dispatchable location details (building, floor, wing, classroom)
- Automatically update location data when phones are moved
- Support complex campuses, remote staff, and mobile users
Accurate 911 location data is critical for faster emergency response during medical incidents, active threats, fires, lockdowns, and evacuations. Non-compliance can lead to delayed response times, increased safety risks, legal exposure, and loss of public trust.
As a best practice, schools are adopting integrated emergency communication platforms that ensure compliance, deliver real-time internal alerts, and integrate with mass notification, access control, and video systems to provide comprehensive campus safety coverage.
KARI'S LAW OVERVIEW
Kari’s Law is a federal law requiring all multi-line telephone systems (MLTS) to allow direct 911 dialing and provide on-site notifications of emergency calls.
Under the statute, which went into effect on February 16, 2020, MLTS vendors and manufacturers must configure new systems to support direct dialing 911.
The system must also send a notification to a central location on- or off-site, such as a front desk or security kiosk.
The notification will provide an alert that a 911 call was placed, and include a callback number and information about the caller’s location.
ALYSSA'S LAW OVERVIEW
The Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, claimed the lives of 17 students and staff, including 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff.
In response, legislation known as Alyssa’s Law was created to improve emergency response times during life-threatening incidents.
Signed into Texas law by Greg Abbott on May 5, 2023 (SB 838 / HB 669), the law requires all Texas public schools and charter schools to install silent panic alarm systems linked directly to law enforcement by the 2025–2026 school year.
These emergency response systems must provide:
- Administrative access to critical safety information
- Real-time communication between first responders
- Two-way communication with school personnel
The goal of Alyssa’s Law is to speed emergency response during crises such as active shooter situations, where every second can help save lives.
Governor Abbott signs Alyssa's Law
Gov. Abbott signed the school safety bill known as Alyssa's Law so now ALL schools in Texas will be required to have some type of classroom panic button installed by the school year 2025-2026.
Over 95% of Texas schools are already looking at what to do to comply with Alyssa's Law and there's more than $1 Billion has been set aside to PAY for it!
Brookside is your single point of contact for the latest in school safety products.
ADDRESSING ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATIONS
An "active shooter" is defined by the FBI and DHS as an individual attempting to kill people in a populated or confined area, usually with firearms and often choosing victims randomly.
Most incidents occur in soft targets with minimal security. These events typically last 10–15 minutes and end with police intervention (46%), the shooter’s suicide (40%), surrender (14%), or rarely, escape.
To improve safety, legislation like Kari’s Law (direct 911 dialing and onsite notification) and the Ray Baum’s Act (dispatchable emergency location) has been enacted to protect schools and public buildings.
WHAT IS A DISPATCHABLE LOCATION?
Dispatchable location is location information delivered to the emergency services with a 911 call that consists of the street address of the caller and additional information necessary to identify the exact location of the caller including the suite, apartment, floor, room, and/or office numbers, and phone extension.
Dispatchable location is also known as “the door to knock on.”
