ALTON, IL – In response to an emergency situation where a young child was unable to reach emergency services, legislation supported by State Rep. Dan Beiser, D-Alton, to make it easier to dial 9-1-1 without worrying about a special code to dial out from an office or phone system, was signed into law last week.

“We are taught from a young age to dial 9-1-1 during an emergency,” Beiser said. “When the seconds count, there should be nothing standing in the way from someone who needs assistance.”

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Beiser helped pass Senate Bill 3313 to require private businesses that use a switchboard service to allow a caller dialing 9-1-1 to be connected without first dialing any number or set of numbers. The bill was introduced after a young girl in Texas tried to call 9-1-1 from a motel, where her mother had been attacked.  The girl was unable to be connected to emergency services because she didn’t know she had to dial 9 first, and her mother did not survive.

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“The terror this little girl in Texas went through when she couldn’t reach emergency services could have easily happened here in Illinois,” Beiser said. “Thanks to this legislation, if a similar emergency situation happens in the future, a person will be able to quickly reach 9-1-1 dispatchers.

For any questions or concerns about state-related issues, please contact Beiser’s constituent service office at  618-465-5900. 

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