Kari’s Law & Ray Baum’s Act: What Schools & Municipalities Need to Know

Introduction: Why 911 Compliance Can’t Wait

Picture this scenario: a teacher dials 911 in the middle of a medical emergency. The call doesn’t go through. Or worse, it connects — but dispatch shows up at the wrong building because the system didn’t pass along the right location. That’s not a plotline from a TV drama. It’s what happens every day when outdated phone systems collide with reality.

Here’s the gut punch: less than half of schools in the U.S. are fully compliant with Kari’s Law and Ray Baum’s Act. That means most districts are rolling the dice with their students’ safety. And if you think regulators or juries care about excuses, they don’t.

Failure here isn’t just about downtime or IT headaches. It’s lives at risk. It’s fines up to $10,000 plus $500 per day per non-compliant phone. It’s lawsuits that can bleed a district dry. These laws aren’t advisory checklists. They’re federal mandates.

What Are Kari's Law & Ray Baum's Act - Quick Answer:

Kari’s Law requires direct 911 dialing and on-site notification. Ray Baum’s Act requires dispatchable location data for every emergency call. If your phones can’t do those things, you’re non-compliant, period.

The Story Behind Kari’s Law

Kari’s Law carries a name because it carries a tragedy. In 2013, Kari Hunt Dunn was attacked in a Texas motel room. Her nine-year-old daughter tried four times to dial 911 — but the motel phone system required dialing “9” first to get an outside line. Help never came.

Congress responded. On February 16, 2020, Kari’s Law went into effect nationwide for all Multi-Line Telephone Systems (MLTS). The intent is painfully simple: make sure anyone, anywhere can call 911 without extra steps — and make sure someone on site knows the call was made.

This law exists because a child couldn’t reach help. It’s meant to make sure that never happens again.

The Core Requirements of Kari’s Law

• Direct 911 Dialing: No prefixes. No “dial 9.” Just 911.
• On-Site Notification: The system must alert on-site staff when a 911 call is placed. That alert must include a callback number and the caller’s location.
• Scope: Applies to all new phone systems and any major upgrades made after February 2020.
• Enforcement: The FCC has authority and enforces with monetary penalties.

If a student dials 911 from a classroom phone and your system doesn’t send an alert to the main office with the room number attached, you’re out of compliance. And out of excuses.

Ray Baum’s Act: The Perfect Complement to Kari’s Law

If Kari’s Law was written to make sure every 911 call goes out, Ray Baum’s Act was written to make sure every 911 call is useful.

When dispatchers only see a street address, they have no idea if the caller is on the third floor of the west wing, in the gymnasium, or in the nurse’s office. Seconds get wasted. And in an emergency, wasted seconds cost lives.

Passed in 2018 as part of the larger RAY BAUM’S Act, Section 506 requires dispatchable location information. That means every 911 call has to transmit precise details — building, floor, room, suite — so first responders know exactly where to go.

Compliance Timeline:

• January 6, 2021: Fixed phones had to comply.
• January 6, 2022: Non-fixed devices like softphones, wireless handsets, and remote endpoints joined the list.

The goal is simple: remove the guesswork. Put help in the right place faster. Together, Kari’s Law and Ray Baum’s Act cover the two sides of the emergency call: access and accuracy.

The 2025 FCC Crackdown: Why Grandfathering Won’t Save You

For years, plenty of schools and municipalities  leaned on a convenient story: “Our system is old, so we’re grandfathered in.” That excuse is starting to collapse.

In 2025, the FCC tightened the screws. Their position is clear: if you’ve made significant upgrades, changed how your calls are routed, or touched your MLTS in ways that impact 911 functionality, compliance is required.

This hits hardest in places running mixed tech stacks: maybe the admin building uses VoIP, but the high school still runs on a legacy PBX. Or perhaps you swapped out your provider but left the old dial plan in place. Those gaps are where compliance fails.

Bottom line? Grandfathering doesn’t save you. If your phones can’t meet federal requirements today, you’re at risk today.

What Non-Compliance Really Means for Schools & Municipalities

Too many leaders treat 911 compliance like a box to check. It isn’t. Non-compliance has teeth, and when it bites, it doesn’t let go.

• Financial Risk: FCC fines up to $10,000, plus $500 per day, per phone. Legal liability if something goes wrong.
• Reputational Damage: Public trust plummets when emergency calls fail. Funding and leadership credibility often follow.
• Operational Gaps: First responders lose precious minutes if location data is missing or wrong.
  
  

Real-World Examples:

• A multi-building campus where some classroom phones couldn’t reach 911.
• A charter school still requiring “9” to dial out.
• A municipal office with VoIP phones that didn’t transmit location data.

911 Compliance Audit Checklist

Here’s how you know if your system is truly ready for a crisis:

• Direct Dial Verification: Dialing “911” works from every device without a prefix.
• Notification Routing: On-site staff receive immediate alerts with callback number and caller location.
• Dispatchable Location Mapping: Every extension is mapped down to room or floor level.
• Testing & Documentation: You run regular test calls and keep logs for legal and regulatory audits.
• System Scope: Remote users and mobile devices are included and location-compliant.

An audit isn’t busywork. It’s the only way to find out if your emergency communication system works in reality — not just in the sales brochure.

How CCI Voice Ensures Schools & Municipalities Stay Compliant

Full MLTS Compliance Audits

We inspect every endpoint—handsets, softphones, remote users—against the full requirements of Kari’s Law and Ray Baum’s Act. If something’s out of spec, you’ll know exactly what and why.

FCC-Compliant VoIP Upgrades

• Direct 911 dialing with no prefixes
• On-site notification systems
• Dispatchable location data for all fixed and mobile devices

Integrated Safety Infrastructure

We tie emergency communication into access control, surveillance, and automation systems. Lockdowns, live camera feeds, and real-time alerts—all integrated for complete incident response.

State-Approved Expertise

CCI Voice is pre-approved by the State of Connecticut for schools, libraries, and municipal projects—meaning faster procurement, no RFP delays, and pre-vetted performance.

Training & Ongoing Support

We train your staff on protocols, monitor your system, and ensure your compliance doesn’t slip over time. Because being ready once isn’t enough—you have to stay ready.

Compliance Is the Most Actionable Preparedness Step You Can Take

Deadlines aren’t coming — they’re gone. Every day you wait, you’re gambling with two things you can’t afford to lose: money and lives.

The FCC isn’t bluffing. Trial lawyers won’t care that “IT was working on it.” And families won’t forgive a call that never got through.

Schedule a 15-minute compliance consultation with CCI Voice.

We’ll audit your current system, identify the gaps, and show you a path to readiness. No tech jargon. No red tape. Just solutions that work when they need to.