On February 16, 2018, President Trump signed a law imposing new requirements on multi-line telephone system (MLTS) called the Kari’s Law. This law requires all MLTS systems to have a default configuration that allows users to dial 9-1-1 directly, without the need to add additional digits or prefixes, from any phone with features numbering.
The story behind the Kari’s law
In December 2013, Kari Hunt was killed by her ex-husband in a motel room in Texas. Her daughter tried several times to dial 9-1-1 from the room phone, but she was unable to make her emergency call because the motel’s MLTS system required that users dial “9” to join an outside line.
After the death of his daughter, Kari’s father, Hank Hunt, used social networks and crowdfunding to argue for the need for a uniform 9-1-1 system in the US Congress. After five years, the US Senate passed this bill, officially known as HR 582.
What is the Multiline Telephone System (MLTS)?
Multiline Telephone System (MLTS) is a system that serves multiple phone users in the same site, like motel, university campus, or others.
The MLTS configuration requires a user to dial a digit or prefix to reach a number outside the system such as “9”. When an emergency call is made from an MLTS phone, the user may still be forced to dial the prefix to direct the call out of the system.
What does Kari’s Law mean for telecommunication companies?
The Kari’s law essentially prohibits companies from manufacturing or importing a multi-line phone in the United States unless the phone is preconfigured to allow users to make an 9-1-1 emergency call directly without dialing. prefixes, numbers, or network access codes such as the number “9”.