An increasing number of Americans now use voice-over-Internet protocol to make telephone calls, House Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich., said during a hearing on issues in emergency communications. "It is therefore appropriate to once again update our laws so that consumers can be confident of receiving emergency assistance when they dial 911 from a VoIP connection," he said.

According to Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey, D-Mass., the measure would make two significant changes: extend liability protections to VoIP providers and establish the right of VoIP providers to access the infrastructure necessary to complete 911 calls.

Markey said he does not want a person's ability to pick up a phone and reach the appropriate dispatch operator to "hinge on the type of technology a consumer uses."

Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan, the top Republican on the telecom panel, added that the legislation "has some important provisions that certainly take us in the right direction."

The National Emergency Number Association and Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials said they want a change in the structure of the funding section but otherwise support the bill. "Migrating to a fully IP-based, next-generation 911 system will certainly require some legislative and regulatory changes," Jason Barbour said on behalf of NENA and APCO.

Comcast said it supports the bill and believes it will stimulate competition and consumer choice in the voice market. An Earthlink official also voiced support for the legislation in prepared testimony.

Robert Mayer, a vice president at the U.S. Telecom Association, said his group supports some aspects of the legislation but directed attention to two areas where it would like to see changes to the measure. "The first area deals with access to 911 components, and the second area deals with the current bill's proposal to limit the use of customer information," Mayer said.

Craig Donaldson of Intrado, which provides 911 operations support to local telecom firms, said his group is concerned about language that would let the FCC release 911 data elements to the general public if doing so would "'improve public safety." "Intrado strongly believes that releasing such data to the general public would be reckless," he said.