WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (CA-18) hailed the passage of two of her bills today, the Next Gen 911 Advancement Act and her Safe Connections Act.

"Survivors of domestic violence face major barriers when trying to leave their abusers, including becoming stuck in shared phone plans that abusers can use to monitor, harass, and control them. The Safe Connections Act ensures all survivors can remove themselves from shared phone plans without prohibitive costs and requirements and enroll in the Lifeline Program or the Affordable Connectivity Program to obtain new phones or phone services at discounted prices," said Eshoo.

"I'm also proud to see my legislation to establish Next Gen 911 pass nearly two decades after establishing the E-911 Caucus to support first responders and modernize 9-1-1 services. I began working on this issue after the 9/11 terrorist attacks when firefighters and police officers in the twin towers were unable to communicate with each other because their emergency communications services lacked all interoperability. Next Gen 911 ensures first responders can communicate securely and reliably," said Eshoo. "This technology will bring our nation's 9-1-1 services into the 21^st Century by allowing emergency communication centers to receive real-time location information, text messages, photos, and video from individuals at the scene of an emergency, and be able to share that information with first responders in the field to help them better respond."

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