Congress Wants A Report Card: Is Kari’s Law, Really Working?
Kari’s Law turns eight next month, and 9-1-1 turns 58, which is wild because some phone systems still act like it is 1987 and we are all dialing out of a beige desk phone. In Bill H.R. 5201 Congress is now asking, “Cool law… but is it working?” Let’s talk about what “effective” actually means when the clock is ticking and somebody’s phone needs an instruction manual.3) OPENING
Today, I’ll be talking about whether Kari’s Law is actually effective, eight years later, and why Congress is asking the FCC to put the compliance reality on paper, in public, with receipts.
Kari’s Law, the “How Was This Not Already a Rule?” Rule
Kari’s Law became law on February 16, 2018, signed on the 50th anniversary of the first 9-1-1 call in Haleyville, Alabama, during the first Trump Administration.
That date matters, not just because it is historically poetic, but because it reminds us what 9-1-1 is supposed to be: simple. You should not need an access code, a secret handshake, or the institutional knowledge of a 12-year hotel employee who “heard something about dialing 9 first.”
And here we are today, one month shy of the 8th anniversary of Kari’s Law, and also one month shy of 9-1-1 itself turning 58 on February 16, 2026.
You would think that after nearly six decades, the emergency number would be the least complicated part of an emergency.
Yet, if you have worked around multi-line telephone systems (MLTS), you know the truth: some buildings treat emergency calling like it is a “choose your own adventure” book. Spoiler alert, emergencies do not enjoy plot twists.
Why Congress Is Asking “Is It Working?”
Enter H.R. 5201, the Kari’s Law Reporting Act. The bill directs the FCC to publish a report on its enforcement of Kari’s Law, including how compliant MLTS manufacturers and vendors have been, the obstacles encountered, how enforcement could be improved, and whether Congress needs to do more.
And here is the timely part: on January 15, 2026, Congress.gov shows the bill was forwarded by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee to the Full Committee by voice vote.
That is the legislative equivalent of, “Alright, you have my attention, keep talking.”
Now, a quick reality lesson for anyone new to how a bill becomes a law.
Being moved forward is meaningful, but it is not the finish line. It still has to clear the House process, then the Senate gets its turn, and then, if everything aligns, it can land on the President’s desk. Translation: it has momentum, but it has miles to go.
“Effective” Is Not the Same as “On the Books”
Let’s be blunt, in the nicest possible way. A law can exist, and still not be effective, if:
- People do not know it exists
- People assume “the vendor handled it”
- People never test it
- People treat compliance like a one-time checkbox instead of an ongoing operational requirement
This is why H.R. 5201 matters. Even if you already believe the FCC has enforcement authority, the bill forces visibility and accountability through a formal report: what is happening, what is not, and why.
Think of it like a gym membership. Buying it is not the same as going. Hanging the membership card on your refrigerator does not improve your cardio.
What Kari’s Law Actually Requires, in Plain English
Kari’s Law is often summarized as “no more dialing 9 first,” and yes, that is a big piece of it. But it is FAR from the whole story.
Here are the practical requirements most people should remember:
- Direct dialing of 9-1-1
No access code required. No prefix. No “dial 9 to get an outside line.” Just 9-1-1.
- On-site notification
When someone calls 9-1-1 from a facility system, someone should be notified. That could be security, a front desk, a safety team, or another designated party.
- Route the call to the correct Public Safety Answering Point without local interception
The call should go where it needs to go, not get trapped in a local switchboard, or rerouted to someone who thinks “intercepting” means “helping.”
If you had to do an emergency fire drill, would you accept a building policy that says:
“Step 1: Find a supervisor. Step 2: Ask for permission to open the exit door. Step 3: If the supervisor is at lunch, try again.”
No, of course not. Because the entire point of emergency procedures is speed and clarity. Kari’s Law is that concept applied to phone systems.
The Companion Rule People Forgets to Mention: Dispatchable Location
Kari’s Law is about ACCESS. Reaching 9-1-1. RAY BAUM’S Act Section 506 is about helping responders find you after you get through.
Section 506 requires “dispatchable location” information to be conveyed with 9-1-1 calls, so call takers and responders are not playing a high-stakes game of “Where’s Waldo?” with a caller who is panicked, injured, or hiding.
Dispatchable location is not “we know the main address.” It is “we know enough detail to actually find you,” like:
- building name
- floor
- room, suite, or area
- or another location descriptor that gets responders to the right place quickly
And yes, dispatchable location also needs to be provided internally. If your security team gets a notification that says “9-1-1 call placed,” but the only location detail is “somewhere on campus,” that is not a safety plan. That is a scavenger hunt.
Penalties, Liability, and the Part People Really Fear
Both Kari’s Law and the dispatchable location rules are implemented through FCC rules and regulations under Title 47. The FCC’s dispatchable location guidance is clear that providers of certain services must deliver dispatchable location with 9-1-1 calls, with citations into the FCC’s rules.
So yes, regulatory penalties exist and can be significant.
But let’s talk about what keeps executives awake at night: lawsuits.
The Kari Hunt case is the reason this entire topic has a human face, and it is also a flashing neon sign for anyone managing communications in a hotel, campus, hospital, enterprise facility, or anywhere the public might be present. In 2018, a jury awarded the family $41.55 million, which is often rounded in retellings into “about $42 million” or “about $43 million,” depending on who is telling the story.
Here is the key point: that verdict happened even though Kari’s Law was not in effect at the time of Kari’s death. The jury did not need a specific statute to understand what Attorney Martha Buyer has always preached about. The basic Duty of Care: people should be able to reach emergency help.
That is why the real risk is not just the fine. This is a combination of:
- foreseeability
- negligence
- and punitive damages when a jury believes the failure was preventable
The Summary Nobody Wants, but Everybody Needs
At the end of the day, if you are responsible for communications infrastructure in a facility or business, it is your responsibility to provide adequate communications for emergency conditions and to facilitate response.
Full stop.
And as communications become more complex, this problem does not go away. In fact, complexity is usually the excuse people hide behind:
- “Our environment is complicated.”
- “We have multiple sites.”
- “We have a hybrid cloud voice platform.”
- “We have remote workers.”
- “We have a campus with 40 buildings.”
All true. Also irrelevant when someone is bleeding. And newsflash: This is all fixable today with affordable technology.
The uncomfortable reality is this: Kari’s Law and dispatchable location compliance are rarely a hardware replacement problem. Most of the time, it is an awareness, configuration, and governance problem. It is simply knowing what you have, how it is routed, how it is tracked, and whether anyone has bothered to tested it.
That is why I keep saying administrators need to understand the requirements and not be part of the problem.
If you are a newer professional, here is your career cheat code: become the person who asks, calmly and consistently, “How does 9-1-1 work from this phone?” Then insist on putting together a plan to test it. Just make sure you coordinate that test with Public Safety.
If you are a senior leader, here is the executive version: do not accept “we think it works.” Make “prove it” part of your risk management agenda plan.
So Is Kari’s Law Effective?
My answer is a standard Martha Buyer public safety answer: It depends.
- Effective as a legal baseline? Yes. It clearly states what must happen.
- Effective in every building in America? Not yet.
- Effective in the places that test, train, audit, and treat emergency calling like a safety system? Absolutely.
And that is why H.R. 5201 is a smart move. It forces the question Congress is asking right now to be answered by the FCC in a public report: who complied, who struggled, what got in the way, and what needs to change.
Sometimes the biggest step toward compliance is not a new regulation. It is a spotlight and a deadline.
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