By U.S. Senator Deb Fischer

**Click here to download the audio recording of this week’s column**

In December of 2013, a woman named Kari Hunt was attacked in her Texas hotel room. Her 9-year-old daughter tried desperately to call 911. Like millions of American children, Kari’s brave daughter was taught to dial 911 for emergency assistance. Since they were in a hotel room, however, the call did not go through. Hotel phones, like those in offices, often require people to dial “9,” followed by 911. 

A few precious seconds can mean everything in an emergency. Unfortunately, this tragedy is not isolated to one brave little girl in a hotel room. 

As of March 2014, 44.5 percent of hotel franchises and 32 percent of independent hotels did not have direct dial capabilities. Over the past two years, the hotel industry and phone manufacturers have undertaken voluntary steps to address this problem and update their systems. But, we do not have time to wait.

While no one can prevent tragic events from taking place, we do have the ability to make it easier to get help. That’s why I have teamed up with a bipartisan group of senators to introduce a new bill named in honor of Kari Hunt. This legislation, known as “Kari’s Law,” would make sure that everyone has the ability to call 911 in an emergency.

“Kari’s Law” would require multi-line telephone systems, such as those used in hotels, schools, and office buildings, to have a default setting that allows people to directly call 911 without first dialing an access code like “9” or “1.” The bill also requires that these phone systems be programmed to allow a central location (such as a hotel front desk) to be notified if a 911 call is made. 

If one person is unable to call 911 in a life or death situation, that is one person too many. We owe it to Kari Hunt, her family, and every American to fix this simple problem and save lives.

Common-sense solutions to problems like this are possible with teamwork and determination. As a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, I’ve worked with my colleagues to find additional ways to improve lives by updating our telecommunication laws.

In recent years, loopholes in our laws have allowed predators to harass many Americans. For example, there is a practice referred to as caller ID spoofing, which occurs when scammers deliberately falsify their identification through texting and phone calls. Senior citizens and veterans are often their prime targets.

Spoofing has become a major problem for Nebraskans and law enforcement. In September of 2013, Marian Kerr, a retired hospital nursing administrator from Hastings, was tricked into giving out her bank account information to scammers who claimed to work for the federal government. Just last fall, the FBI issued a warning about the danger posed by scammers who used the Bureau’s identification to target Nebraskans. The callers said they were offering a grant from the federal government, and they proceeded to solicit credit card and banking information.  

This practice is happening across the country, and it needs to stop. That is why I joined Senator Bill Nelson of Florida last month to introduce the bipartisan Spoofing Prevention Act. Our bill would crack down on spoofing by prohibiting the practice on all voice calls including calls made using IP-enabled voice services. It would also prohibit caller ID spoofing done via text messaging, which is now a common practice. Lastly, the bill directs the Government Accountability Office to report on what the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission have done to combat spoofing.

Kari’s Law and the Spoofing Prevention Act are just two examples of common-sense legislation that can make our country a safer place. I will continue to urge my colleagues to support these important proposals. I also encourage you to reach out to my office with your own ideas to improve our laws. Together, we can make a difference one idea at a time. 

Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.