Let Avaya Help You
with Kari's Law Compliance

Complete the form below to request a free 9-1-1 Federal Mandate Compliance Audit, or to have an Avaya public safety specialist contact you.


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Is Your
Organization Ready
for Kari’s Law?

Kari’s Law and Ray Baum’s Act require all multi-line phone systems in the U.S. (like those found in hotels and offices) to enable direct dial to 9-1-1, direct routing to a 911 center, and on-site notification of a 9-1-1 call that includes a detailed “dispatchable location” to decrease response time. Signed in 2018, the laws started going into effect on February 16, 2020. Now is the time to familiarize yourself with the laws and their potential impact on your business.

Kari’s Law amends the original Telecommunications Act of 1934 as well as its overhaul in 1996. The bill has transformed emergency communications by mandating that public safety be built into every aspect of a telephone system. Kari’s Law makes it so that every person can easily call for help, and be easily located by emergency services.

What is Kari’s Law?
What are the Requirements?

Kari’s Law is named after Kari Hunt, who was tragically murdered in her hotel room in 2013 after multiple failed attempts by her daughter to dial 9-1-1. Medical examiners agree that had her daughter been able to reach emergency services, Kari would have survived the attack. The law is designed to ensure that anyone, anywhere can reach emergency services and that critical location data is provided with that call.


Details about the Law and Timing


February 16, 2020 - Kari’s Law is in effect
Requires the following on all new / upgraded systems:
  • Direct access to 9-1-1 without an access code.
  • Routing to the 9-1-1 PSAP (public safety answer point) with no interception.
  • On-site notification to staff of who dialed 9-1-1.

January 6, 2021 - Ray Baum’s Act §506 is in effect
  • Requires dispatchable location to be delivered for wired devices.
  • Dispatchable location is defined as building address and additional data that can locate the caller in a reasonable amount of time.

January 6, 2022 - Ray Baum’s Act §506 adds wireless devices
  • Requires dispatchable location to be delivered for wireless devices.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

In addition to facing potentially devasting civil liabilities should a tragedy occur, businesses that fail to comply with the law risk fines, and may be subject to additional penalties for each day they remain non-compliant. With Kari’s Law now included within the amended Communications Act, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has the power to enforce the rules, assign judgments, and collect penalties.

Helpful Resources:

How to Get Compliant

Compliance Audit

Keeping up with ever-changing laws related to emergency calling is a complicated endeavor. Large enterprises are especially challenged—remote workers, multiple sites, and cloud-based communications all add to the intricacies of ensuring compliance.

Avaya is here to help. Our free 9-1-1 Federal Mandate Compliance Audit is the best and easiest way for you to ensure conformance with emergency calling laws. Avaya public safety subject matter experts will identify where you may be failing to comply and the associated risks and liabilities, and provide an individually tailored roadmap to compliance.

Request your audit by filling out the form at the top of this page. An Avaya specialist will be in contact within two business days to schedule an initial conference call

Avaya SENTRY™

As a national leader in advocating for Kari’s Law, Avaya also offers the world’s first secure next-generation 9-1-1 (NG911) additional data repository (ADR) solution: Avaya SENTRY.

NG911 is a national movement to replace the outdated emergency communications infrastructure with new IP-enabled functionality that can transport not only voice but multimedia data and geospatial location information. This additional data will provide critical situational awareness directly to public safety answering points (PSAPs) and first responders, speeding response and assisting in saving lives. Enterprise networks will detect and immediately route emergency call requests, no matter where or how the device is connected, while providing on-site notification, acknowledgement, and escalation as needed as well as explicit location to the PSAP.

Previously, providing detailed information to the PSAP has been costly and difficult. Now, the Avaya SENTRY integration with RapidSOS enables the delivery of discrete location and other critical data to public safety through the NG911 Clearinghouse using NENA standard protocols.

Avaya SENTRY provides relevant context that goes well beyond location, ensuring that U.S. enterprises are in full compliance with Kari’s Law, as well as the dispatchable location required by Ray Baum’s Act. The solution is the market’s most flexible and dynamic real-time 9-1-1 database, providing life-saving technology using existing networks.

Learn How Avaya Can Help:

Additional Resources: