November 15, 2025 · By the Uvoice team
If your organization uses a multi-line telephone system (MLTS) — which includes virtually every business phone system — you're subject to two federal laws that govern how emergency calls work: Kari's Law and RAY BAUM's Act.
Kari's Law (Effective February 2020)
Named after Kari Hunt, who was killed in a hotel room while her daughter tried unsuccessfully to call 911 by dialing 9-1-1 (the hotel's phone system required dialing 9 for an outside line first), Kari's Law requires:
- Direct 911 dialing: Users must be able to dial 911 directly — no access codes, no dialing 9 first
- On-site notification: When a 911 call is made, a designated person on-site must be notified (e.g., front desk, security, office manager)
RAY BAUM's Act (Effective January 2022)
RAY BAUM's Act goes further by requiring:
- Dispatchable location information: Your phone system must provide 911 dispatchers with a location specific enough to find the caller — not just a street address, but a floor, suite, or room number
- This applies to all platforms: VoIP, on-premise, hybrid, and Microsoft Teams Phone
Why This Matters
In a multi-story building or campus, providing only a street address to 911 dispatchers can delay emergency response by critical minutes. First responders need to know not just which building, but which floor and which room.
What You Need to Do
1. Verify direct dialing: Test every phone in your organization — can you dial 911 without pressing any prefix?
2. Configure location information: Each phone or user must have a specific, dispatchable location associated with it
3. Set up on-site notification: Configure alerts to notify designated personnel when a 911 call is placed
4. Update when people move: If employees change desks, floors, or buildings, location information must be updated
5. Include remote workers: Remote and hybrid employees need location information set to their home address
Cloud VoIP and E911
Cloud phone systems handle E911 differently than traditional systems. Location information is typically configured per-user in the admin portal. When a user moves (changes offices, works from home, travels), their E911 location needs to be updated.
Modern platforms make this easier with:
- Self-service E911 location updates (users enter their current address)
- GPS-based location detection on mobile apps
- Admin notifications when location information is missing or outdated
How Uvoice helps
We set up 911 for every phone and location when we install your system: direct 911 dialing, and the right address for each location. When people move or you add an office, we update the 911 addresses as part of the change.