Sixteen states enacted 22 bills in 2018 aimed at supporting and improving the efficiency of the 911 component of public emergency communication services operations. 

Although fewer states passed legislation pertaining to Next Generation 911 (NG911) in 2018 than in past years, at least four states—Colorado, Iowa, Maryland and Virginia—passed NG911-related legislation. NG911 is an internet protocol (IP)-based system that allows users to send digital information such as photos, text messages or videos, in addition to phone calls, to 911 call centers and reroute 911 calls among 911 call centers. A total of 20 states have adopted a statewide NG911 plan and 22 reported being in the installation and testing phase of NG911 component implementation, according to the 2017 National 911 Progress ReportREAD MORE