; Whereas telecommunicators at public safety answering points answer more than 200,000,000 9–1–1 calls each year in the United States; Whereas a growing number of 9–1–1 calls are made using wireless and Internet Protocol-based communications services; Whereas a growing segment of the population of the United States, including individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind, or who have speech disabilities, is increasingly communicating with nontraditional text, video, and instant messaging communications services and expects those services to be able to connect directly to 9–1–1; Whereas the growth and variety of means of communication, including mobile and Internet Protocol-based systems, impose challenges for accessing 9–1–1 and implementing an enhanced 9–1–1 system and require increased education and awareness about the capabilities of different means of communication; Whereas numerous other N–1–1 and 800 number services exist for nonemergency situations, including 2–1–1, 3–1–1, 5–1–1, 7–1–1, 8–1–1, poison control centers, and mental health hotlines, and the public needs to be educated on when to use those services in addition to or instead of 9–1–1; Whereas international visitors and immigrants make up an increasing percentage of the population of the United States each year, and visitors and immigrants may have limited knowledge of the emergency calling system in the United States; Whereas people of all ages use 9–1–1 and it is critical to educate people on the proper use of 9–1–1; Whereas senior citizens are highly likely to need to access 9–1–1 and many senior citizens are learning to use new technology; Whereas thousands of 9–1–1 calls are made every year by children properly trained in the use of 9–1–1, which saves lives and underscores the critical importance of training children early in life about 9–1–1; Whereas the 9–1–1 system is often misused, including by the placement of prank and nonemergency calls