A second bill is making its way through Sacramento to strengthen oversight of California’s troubled 9-1-1 upgrade. Assembly member Rhodesia Ransom (Tracy-D) has introduced AB 1805 after a series of news reports by the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit uncovered call problems, project delays and majo r cost overruns with the state’s ‘Next Generation 9-1-1’ project. Managed by the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), Next Generation 9-1-1 is supposed to modernize California’s emergency calling system, adding video capabilities and better location services. California’s Office of Emergency Services manages the Next Generation 911 project. In November 2024, the Investigative Unit told you about some of the first dispatch centers on the new system reporting constant connection issues that sometimes delayed emergency responses. After placing deployment of the system on hold for over a year, the California Office of Emergency Services is now acknowledging the previous regional system design was “flawed and fragile,” after already sinking $456 million into the endeavor. The agency resumed deployment last week after starting to shift from a regional system model to a unified statewide system. If signed into law, Asm. Ransom’s bill would immediately require: A state audit of the implementation of the Next Generation 911 project that would start no later than September 1, 2026. The audit would also look into Cal OES’ current and prior vetting processes for vendor qualifications. New oversight powers of the State’s 9-1-1 Advisory Board, which currently only advises. The bill would add a representative from the Department of Technology and make the Chief of Cal OES’ Public Safety Communications Division a nonvoting member of the board rather than the chair. Quarterly reports from Cal OES to the Legislature regarding progress and major challenges of the system. The bill would prohibit Cal OES from awarding a contract for Next Generation 911 system unless specified conditions are met. AB 1805 passed 7-0 and is heading to Assembly Appropriations. “There were definitely some of [NBC Bay Area’s] news reports where we were able to see what was happening … seeing that [Cal OES] folks were aware of this all the way at least back to 2021,” Asm. Ransom said. “That really made it very important to me that we step in to ensure, not only does this never happen again, but that we know what happened and that we are able to recover in the right way.” Republican lawmakers have previously called for an audit and more transparency through a separate senate bill. Asm. Ransom says her bill is bipartisan and expedites the accountability process. “Definitely, this is a bipartisan effort. I think all of us here who are concerned about this are willing to work together,” she said.    We reached out to Cal OES for comment about AB 1805. The agency said it does not comment on pending legislation but is keeping lawmakers informed of its progress. Cal OES plans to have the system up and running for the 2028 Winter Olympics in Los Angeles. “We’re moving forward – deliberately and transparently – to modernize our emergency response with a statewide Next Generation 9-1-1 system,” the agency told NBC Bay Area. AB 1805 passed the Emergency Management Committee 7-0 on April 23 and is now heading to Assembly Appropriations. To catch up on all of NBC Bay Area’s exclusive reporting on California’s troubled Next Generation 9-1-1, visit: www.nbcbayarea.com/nextgen911. If you have a comment or a question about this story, e-mail [email protected]. California Mar 17 State lawmakers grill Cal OES and vendors behind stalled Next Gen 911 project Investigative Unit Feb 11 ‘Fix 911 Act' aims to restore accountability, transparency on CA's Next Gen 911 Investigation Feb 17 Assembly Republicans demand audit of California's $450M ‘Next Gen' 911 upgrade ...read more read less