Responding to the tragic drowning deaths of four New York City teens whose frantic call to 911 could not be traced, Senator Clinton hailed yesterday passage of a measure to help states modernize their emergency systems.

Mrs. Clinton said Senate passage of the bill late Wednesday night would mean as much as $250 million annually for authorities to install equipment capable of locating cell phone callers to 911 who don’t know or can’t say where they are.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to eliminate the tragedies we have suffered in the past,” said Mrs. Clinton, who began campaigning for the improved emergency technology after four teens died in freezing waters in Long Island Sound in January 2003.

One of the victims called 911 from a mobile phone as their rowboat began to sink, but the call disconnected and the technology was not in place to trace their location.

Mrs. Clinton worked with Senator Burns, a Republican of Montana, on the “Enhance 911” bill which now awaits the signature of President Bush. The measure authorizes federal matching funds for state and county officials who upgrade their 911 call services to trace cell phone calls.

Congress still needs to vote to spend the grant money.

The bill also withholds such funding from any state that imposes taxes expressly for such upgrades, but then redirects the revenue for other uses, Mrs. Clinton said.

Critics, including the senator, charge New York and other states have collected such a tax for years without making the upgrades, spending much of the money on day-to-day law enforcement expenses.

States that continue to do so, Mrs. Clinton said, “will be publicly identified in a biannual report to Congress so what they are doing behind the scenes will be broadly publicized.”

A spokesman for the New York Department of State said officials have provided more than $50 million this year to help 47 counties make upgrades and will offer an equal amount soon.

“New York has made dramatic progress in helping counties upgrade E-911 systems,” said the spokesman, Peter Constantakes.

Mrs. Clinton discussed her bill in a conference call with reporters and Assemblyman David Koon, a Rochester Democrat who has a very personal stake in the issue.

“It will save lives,there is no doubt in my mind,” said Mr. Koon.

Mr. Koon’s daughter was abducted and killed in Rochester in 1993. She dialed her cell phone during the ordeal and while authorities could hear what was going on, they could not locate her.

Some counties and states have upgraded already to enhanced 911. But the improvements have been slow and spotty, partly because of the cost and the need for close coordination between various government agencies and private cell phone companies.