Understanding
Kari's Law &
Ray Baum's Act

In 2018, two federal statutes were signed into law with the intent to improve emergency calling when using a MLTS (multiline telephone systems), like those sold by ESI. Those statutes are called Kari's Law and Ray Baum's Act.¹

NOTICE:Important Changes to the Sale of Remote IP Phones for ESI Communications Servers™ & ESI IP Server 900™ systems

In order to be compliant with Ray Baum's Act ESI will no longer sell remote IP phone licenses for use on Communications Servers™ or IP Server 900™ systems, new or existing installations, effective October 1, 2020. ESI will continue to support existing remote IP phones in the field, according the hardware warranties that were purchased. Additionally, Esi-Link™ will no longer be sold as a solution for installations where all outbound calls flow through a single system within the linked network. This configuration is not compliant with Ray Baum's Act, and it is the responsibility of the partner to ensure that their Esi-Link™ deployments meet the compliance standards. It is important that ESI Resellers present this information to your affected customers, and if necessary work with them on upgrading to an ESI product line that is compliant, such as the eCloud PBX™ or eSIP Evolution Series™ systems.

What are the requirements for "Kari's Law"?

Requiring a "Prefix" when calling 911 is prohibited.

Locations with MLTS must remove any requirement that a caller dial “9”, “8”, or any other number to reach an outside line to make a call to 911.

On-site Notifications

When a 911 call is placed from an multi-line telephone system, a notification must be sent to on-site personnel, alerting them to the emergency. Notifications to the appropriate contact can take the form of phone calls, visual alerts on a monitor, audible alarms, text messages, and/or emails.

When does Kari's Law go into effect?

Kari’s Law applies to MLTS that are manufactured, imported, offered for first sale or lease, first sold or leased, or installed after February 16, 2020. MLTS that were manufactured, imported, sold or leased, or installed before February 16, 2020 are grandfathered in from statute compliance. However, it’s within the best interest of any business to become compliant to provide better 911 services to those using the MLTS and to prevent potential litigation in the case of a 911 event.

Which ESI systems are compliant with Kari's Law?

System	Version	Compliant? Prohibited Prefix	Compliant? On-Site Notification
ESI eCloud PBX	N/A	Yes	Yes
ESI eSIP Evolution Series	Any system software	Yes	Yes
ESI Communications Servers	ESI-1000, ESI-600, ESI-200, ESI-100, ESI-50 with min. system software version xx.5.10 (or higher)	Yes	Yes
ESI IP Server 900	Any system software	Yes	Yes

What are the requirements of Section 506 of Ray Baum's Act?

Dispatchable Location

Section 506 of Ray Baum’s Act covers “dispatchable location” which requires the FCC to consider adopting rules to ensure that a “dispatchable location” is conveyed with 911 calls, regardless of the technological platform used, so that 911 call centers will receive the caller’s location automatically and can dispatch responders more quickly. “Dispatchable location” is “the street address of the calling party, and additional information such as room number, floor number, or similar information necessary to adequately identify the location of the calling party."

When does the law go into effect?

Compliance for Ray Baum's Act has deadline dates based on Fixed and Non-Fixed telephony. An example of Fixed Telephony is a physical phone in a remote location. An example of Non-Fixed Telephony is a web-based softphone. Ray Baum's Act applies to these devices and platforms that are manufactured, imported, offered for first sale or lease, first sold or leased, or installed after the dates shown below.

Affected MLTS Type	Proposed Due Date
• Fixed Multi-line Telephone Systems (MLTS) • Fixed Interconnected VoIP • Fixed Telephony • Fixed Telephone Relay Services (TRS)	January 6, 2021
• Non-fixed Multi-line Telephone Systems (MLTS) • Non-fixed Interconnected VoIP • Non-fixed Telephone Relay Services (TRS)	January 6, 2021

Which ESI Systems are compliant with Ray Baum's Act?

Please refer to the list below for details on which ESI are compliant with Section 506 of Ray Baum's Act:

System	Version	Compliant? Prohibited Prefix	Compliant? On-Site Notification
ESI eCloud PBX	N/A	Yes	Yes
ESI eSIP Evolution Series	Any system software	Yes	Yes
ESI Communications Servers	ESI-1000, ESI-600, ESI-200, ESI-100, ESI-50 with min. system software version xx.5.10 (or higher)	No	No
ESI IP Server 900	Any system software	No	No

Non-compliant ESI Legacy Systems

The following legacy products are not compliant with Kari's Law or Ray Baum's Act:
• IVX X-Class, IVX S-Class, IVX E-Class, IVX C-Class • IP 200 and IP 40 • IVX 128 & IVX 20 • VoiceWorks 16 • Original IVX

Support

Those who purchased their PBX from ESI through a Certified Partner should contact that partner to perform any programming that may be needed to bring your PBX into compliance. ESI eCloud customers who receive service directly from ESI should contact ESI Cloud Support.

1. https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-353961A1.pdf, https://www.fcc.gov/mlts-911-requirements

Published in May 2024

Understanding Kari's Law &Ray Baum's Act