For a high-resolution photo, please contact: Jacqui.Nguyen@sen.ca.gov
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senator Tony Strickland (R–Huntington Beach) has introduced Senate Bill 985, the Fix 911 Act, legislation aimed at restoring accountability, transparency, and legislative oversight to California’s troubled Next Generation 911 (NextGen 911) emergency response system that has cost taxpayers nearly $500 million with little to show for it.
SB 985 would require the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to submit quarterly reports to the California State Legislature detailing the development, implementation timeline, system readiness, and taxpayer spending for the NextGen 911 project until its completion. Additionally, it opens the question of whether OES’s current authority to raise monthly 911 phone taxes is appropriate and justified.
“When Californians dial 911, they should never have to wonder whether the system will work,” said Senator Strickland. “This administration made big promises, spent hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, and failed to deliver a functioning emergency response system. The Fix 911 Act ensures transparency, accountability, and legislative oversight so this never happens again.”
In 2019, shortly after taking office, Governor Newsom announced plans to modernize California’s outdated 911 system, promising a faster, more reliable emergency response infrastructure capable of handling text, data, and multimedia communications. Nearly six years later, the administration’s effort has failed to deliver results. Additionally, the administration has scrapped most of the work that has already been done and is moving forward with a different plan.
Despite spending nearly $500 million in taxpayer funds, the Newsom Administration has abandoned its original NextGen 911 implementation plan, leaving Californians without the promised upgrades and without clear answers as to how the money was spent or why the project collapsed.
Senator Strickland’s legislation follows a series of investigative reports by NBC Bay Area investigative reporter Candice Nguyen, along with subsequent coverage by The Sacramento Bee’s William Melhado, which revealed systemic mismanagement, missed deadlines, and a lack of accountability surrounding the state’s NextGen 911 rollout.
“Emergency response is a core function of government,” Strickland added. “Accountability is not optional when public safety is at stake.”