STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER JESSICA ROSENWORCEL Re: In the Matter of Implementation of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 Establishment of a Public Safety Answering Point Do-Not-Call Registry, CG Docket No. 12-129 Nearly a decade ago, the Federal Communications Commission was at the forefront of developing the first national Do-Not-Call list. It has been an out-and-out success. Consumers have signed up more than 209 million phone numbers. That means millions of Americans get a reprieve from the ring and buzz of commercial solicitation; a break from unrelenting robocalls; and an opportunity for an uninterrupted dinner hour. It is a small way to bring a little bit more civility and a little bit more privacy to our always-on, connected lives. Today we build on this success by creating a unique Do-Not-Call list that prevents unwanted calls to our nation’s 911 centers. When 911 operators have to deal with unwanted autodialed calls and solicitations, they do more than invade privacy—they pose a risk to public safety. After all, unwanted calls to public safety answering points can prevent emergency calls from being answered. They can prevent crime victims from reaching the police. They can prevent stroke and heart attack victims from receiving timely medical assistance. We fix this today—by putting in place a special registry for public safety answering points, by prohibiting robocalls to these locations, and by establishing enhanced penalties for violations. This is not just the right thing to do—it is also the law. In the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, Congress directed the Commission to develop this unique Do-Not-Call registry for public safety answering points. For this we should thank the leadership of the Congressional Next Generation 911 Caucus—Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Richard Burr, Representative John Shimkus, and Representative Anna Eshoo—for being such champions for public safety. Finally, I want to thank my colleagues for agreeing to clarify that true emergency calls from automated services such as home security and automobile safety systems will reach our nation’s 911 centers. This makes common sense. These services can help facilitate public safety. But if they fail and go beyond making real emergency calls, they can swamp public safety answering points with unwanted automated calls. Such calls are not necessary and can distract first responders from their jobs. Representative Eshoo has been a leader in fighting this problem and I thank her for her efforts that have led to this result today. Thank you also to the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau for their terrific work on this important item.