The Enhancing First Response Act: What Are The Next Steps?

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Last week,, the United States Senate passed S.725, also known as The Enhancing First Response Act. The bill, first introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), includes a clause that would instruct the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to “categorize public safety telecommunicators as a protective service occupation under the Standard Occupational Classification System.” This reclassification recognizes 911 call-takers as a “Public Safety Occupation”, as opposed to “Office and Administrative Support“, a designation that fails to recognize the life-saving work done everyday by members of our occupation. This long-overdue correction is a huge victory for our profession, and paves the way for further cultural recognition!

It is, of course, important to know what the next steps are in this process, as they will have a direct effect on the future of our careers:

• When a bill is passed in the Senate, the next step is for it to be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. The House will then go through a similar process of committee review, debate, and voting on the bill.

• If the House passes a different version of the bill, a conference committee with members from both chambers is formed to work out the differences and create a unified version of the bill.

• Once both the House and the Senate have passed the same version of the bill, it is sent to the President for approval in a process called "enrolling".

• The President can then make one of three decisions:

  • Sign it: The bill becomes law!

  • Veto the bill: The President can reject the bill, and it does not become law. Congress can still override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers, though this is a rare occurrence.

  • No Action: If Congress is in session, the bill becomes law automatically after ten days without the President's signature. A "pocket veto" occurs if the President takes no action and Congress adjourns within those ten days; in this case, the bill does not pass.

This information can also be found on the House’s website, or more importantly, in video from from the old (but well-known) segment of Schoolhouse Rock (which is maybe that show’s largest cultural touchstone; at the very least Jack Sheldon sounds better singing it than any of us could, presumably). More to come on the status of this very important piece of legislation! You can find more information about the bill on Congress’ website.