Have you heard about Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’S Act? Effective for all multi-line telephone systems (MLTS) since January 6, 2022, these two laws imposed new requirements for 911 functionality.

Kari’s Law requires multi-line telephone systems (MLTS) to enable direct dialing to 911 without having to dial an additional number to access an outside line first. This law is named after Kari Hunt, whose tragic death in 2013 highlighted the need for easier access to emergency services from MLTS systems.

RAY BAUM’S Act requires MLTS systems to provide specific information about the location of the caller to emergency services, including the street address, floor number, and room number. This information is crucial in helping first responders quickly locate those in need of assistance.

Every day, more and more businesses rely on web-based phone service such as Microsoft Teams® or RingCentral®. This, plus the mobile nature of today’s workforce, makes compliance with these new laws more challenging. Whether you have a traditional phone system or a new web-based system, you should investigate if it is compliant with Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’S Act. Non-compliance can not only result in legal problems, but potential risks to the safety and well-being of your employees and customers.