SACRAMENTO, CA - Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, Chair of the Assembly Emergency Management Committee, announced today that AB 1805 passed the State Assembly, advancing urgent oversight legislation as the Governor’s May Revision proposes another $141.9 million for California’s troubled Next Generation 911 project.
“After more than a decade and hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, Californians still do not have the reliable Next Gen 911 system they were promised. We cannot allow public dollars to be wasted, and we cannot allow public safety to be put at risk. AB 1805 brings the accountability this project needs so we can protect the lives of millions who depend on 911 when every second matters.”
-Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom
The request comes after California already spent $456 million developing Next Gen 911 under a regional model that Cal OES is now seeking to shift away from. The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) found the project is overdue, its future costs are unclear, and Cal OES has not answered basic questions about what failed in its regional model, whether the new statewide plan will work, or how much more taxpayers will be asked to spend. AB 1805 responds directly to those concerns by requiring an independent audit, restricting new Next Gen 911 contracts, strengthening the state’s 911 oversight board, and requiring regular reports to the Legislature before more public dollars are spent.
