OFFICIAL INTEREST IN ESTABLISHING THE UNIVERSAL NUMBER STEMS PRIMARILY FROM A 1967 RECOMMENDATION OF THE PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDED THAT A SINGLE NUMBER SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED FOR REPORTING EMERGENCIES TO THE POLICE. IN 1979 ABOUT 26 PERCENT OF THE U.S. POPULATION HAD 911 SERVICE, AND CALIFORNIA, LOUISIANA, ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, AND MASSACHUSETTS HAD ENACTED 911 LEGISLATION. SIX STATES HAD LEGISLATION THAT MANDATED IMPLEMENTATION OF 911 SERVICE BY A GIVEN DATE; TWO MANDATED PLANNING ONLY; AND ONE DID NEITHER. ALTHOUGH SEVERAL STATES HAD MORE THAN HALF THEIR POPULATIONS SERVED BY 911 SYSTEMS, NO STATE HAD ACHIEVED TOTAL COVERAGE. IN ORDER TO ASSIST STATES IN DEVELOPING LEGISLATION, A SUGGESTED '911 EMERGENCY TELEPHONE ACT' IS INCLUDED. THE ACT CALLS FOR 911 PLANNING AT STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS, PLACES RESPONSIBILITY FOR 911 IMPLEMENTATION IN A 'COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION' AT THE STATE LEVEL, DEALS WITH JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARY PROBLEMS, AND ADDRESSES POSSIBLE FUNDING METHODS. FOOTNOTES WITH REFERENCES AND A STATE-BY-STATE REVIEW ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).