Subcommittee Markup of Six Bills
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House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology U.S. House of Representatives
Follow its sittingsSpeaker 4
Thank you, Chairman Hudson. I'm pleased the subcommittee is holding this markup of 6 bills to improve our nation's public safety communications capabilities. Americans make roughly a quarter billion calls to 911 every year, and the proportion of those calls that originate from wireless phones continues to rise as more households abandon landline phone service. And while wireless technology continues to progress in its ability to deliver reliable, dispatchable location information to 911 centers, this trend away from landline service puts more pressure on public safety telecommunicators to obtain a caller's whereabouts from the caller directly. Whether a person calling 910 is not familiar with the area, doesn't speak the same language as the dispatcher, or is in a state of distress preventing them from describing their location or emergency.
It's clear that there are still significant gaps in our emergency communications capabilities that delay emergency response and put more lives at risk. And each of these circumstances and many others can be improved upon in an end-to-end next generation 911 environment. Too many emergency communication centers lack modern communications capabilities, and many communities lack the resources to make these necessary investments without our help. So I commend you, Chairman and Representative Troy Carter, for the leadership in this effort, and look forward to supporting his passage. I'm also glad to see two bills led by ranking member Matt Suhey and representative Bill Rakis included in this markup.
Emergency reporting act will improve processes at the FCC to assess communications failures caused by natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires. This effort is a critical step to ensure that policymakers and regulators are equipped with detailed information to identify trends and inform efforts to address points of vulnerability in preparation for future disasters. The Cary's Law Reporting Act is an important bill that follows up on legislation that came through this committee and was signed into law in 2018. The original Cary's law was prompted by the tragic story of a young child unable to reach 911 during what became a fatal domestic dispute in a hotel room because the child was not aware she needed to dial a prefix to place an external call. The victim's daughter did exactly as she was taught and correctly dialed 911, but that one digit ultimately left the victim, Carl Hunt, without access to help when it mattered most.
Cary's law requires providers of multiline telephone systems, serve entities like office buildings and hotels, to reconfigure their systems to enable callers to simply dial 911 without a prefix, to reach emergency assistance. And today, it's evident that providers have yet to fully comply with Cary's law, so the legislation before us will provide Congress and the FCC with the tools necessary to track down delinquent providers and ensure they comply with the law so the tragedies like that of Cary Hunt don't happen again. So appreciate the bipartisan cooperation that went into bringing these bills up today, and yield back the balance of my time, mister chairman.
Speaker 1
Thank the gentleman. The chair would like to inform the committee that we were gonna try to drive through and get through all these before votes are called at 10:00. So your cooperation would be appreciated. Thank you for those abbreviated opening statements. Chair also reminds members that pursuant to the committee rules, all members' opening statements will be made part of the record.
Are there any further opening statements? Great. The chair calls up HR 6505 and asks the clerk to report.
Speaker 1
Open for amendment at any point. So ordered. Does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill? What purpose is the gentleman from California's secret ignition?
Speaker 6
When someone dials 911, they are often experiencing the worst moment of their life. I know that because I'm an emergency physician and answered those 911 calls, doing home emergency visits, intubating, resuscitating, putting central lines inside people's homes, especially in the city of Pittsburgh, where I trained. They expect that their call will go through, that the dispatcher can locate them, understand the situation, and send help immediately. Unfortunately, that expectation is not always met, particularly in communities like the Coachella Valley and Imperial Valley that I represent. In my district, first responders serve vast rural areas, agricultural communities, tribal lands, and remote desert terrain.
During extreme heat events, wildfires, flash floods, or medical emergencies, reliable emergency communications are not a luxury. They're a matter of life or death, yet many 911 centers in these regions still rely on outdated legacy systems that cannot process modern data, struggle to operate during disasters, and lack interoperability across jurisdictions. These challenges are compounded by copper wire theft, which has disrupted landline service and further undermined access to emergency assistance in already vulnerable communities. Across California, more than 440 public safety answering points handle over 28 million 911 calls annually. Yet many centers in the Coachella and Imperial Valley still rely on outdated legacy systems that cannot process modern data, struggle to operate during disasters, and lack interoperability across jurisdictions.
While California has made progress with statewide planning, only about 20 PSAPs are currently taking calls over the new next generation nine one one network. This lag in implementation leaves residents in our district, where long distances and sparse infrastructure already challenge connectivity, facing critical gaps in emergency access. Next generation 911 is essential for Imperial and Coachella Valleys. This is why NextGen 911 is so critical for regions like my district. NG 911 enables text, images, video, and precise location data to reach dispatchers, capabilities that are increasingly essential when callers cannot speak, do not know their exact location, or are relying solely on mobile devices.
For rural and desert communities, these tools can significantly improve response times and situational awareness for first responders. However, technology alone will not close these gaps. Strong federal leadership is needed to ensure that funding, policy, and governance structures support full deployment and long-term reliability, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Families in Imperial and Coachella Valleys deserve the same reliable access to emergency services as residents of major metropolitan areas. Satellite-enabled connectivity offers a vital opportunity to strengthen emergency communications in areas where traditional networks are limited, ensuring connectivity even during outages and disasters in remote desert and agricultural regions.
I understand this bill is yours, Mr. Chairman. I fully support it. It's bipartisan, and I can tell you that all first responders and the whole continuum of emergency care are in favor of this bill because it is about time that people can access their 911, and first responders can access people regardless of where they're at. This bill will save lives with efficiency. This bill will save lives in reaching the patient sooner, and we'll get them to the cath lab.
We'll get them to the stroke center. We'll get them to the trauma center a lot quicker. And we know in the emergency department and emergency care, time is of the essence. And so with this, we need to make sure that everybody in America can access this, and nobody's left out. And I'm gonna work on making sure that my constituents are right there with getting these resources.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Speaker 1
Thank the gentleman for his passion and for your remarks and support. Is there any further discussion on the bill? Great. The question now occurs on adopting HR 6505. All those in favor, say aye.
Aye. Those opposed, no. The ayes have it, and the bill's adopted and forwarded to the full committee. Chair calls up HR 2076 and asks the clerk to report.
Speaker 1
Bill will be open for amendment at any point. So ordered. Does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill? Great. The question now occurs on adopting HR 2076.
All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Those opposed, no. The ayes have it, and the bill's adopted and forwarded to the full committee. The chair calls up HR 5200 and asks the clerk to report.
Speaker 1
And the bill will be open for amendment at any point. It's ordered. Does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill? Question now occurs on adopting HR 5,200. All those in favor, say aye.
Aye. And opposed, no. The ayes have it. Bill's adopted and forwarded to the full committee. The chair calls up HR 5201 and asks the clerk to report.
Speaker 1
Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with, and the bill is open for amendment at any point. So ordered. Does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill? Question now occurs on adopting HR 5201. All those in favor, say aye.
Aye. Those opposed, nay. The ayes have it. The bill's adopted and forwarded to the full committee. Chair calls up HR 7022 and asks the clerk to report.
Speaker 1
Will be open for amendment at any point. So ordered. Does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill? For what purpose does the gentleman from Texas seek to be recognized?
Speaker 7
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I obviously support the bipartisan bill HR 7022, the Mystic Alert Act, which I'm proud to lead alongside representatives Lizzie Fletcher, Buddy Carter, and Mark Vici. And I wanna thank the co-leads for working closely with us to advance this bipartisan legislation. I appreciate their partnership and commitment to strengthening public safety communications, especially for communities that are too often left behind when disasters strike. During our last public safety hearing, we heard powerful testimony from expert witnesses about the importance of strengthening the wireless emergency alert system and their broadband support for the MySafe Alerts Act.
Witnesses emphasized that WAAs are among the most effective tools available to protect the public, but also highlighted that coverage gaps still persist. They explained that incorporating space-based mobile broadband as the Mystic Alerts Act does into the WIA system would add redundancy, improve reliability, and help ensure alerts reach families and first responders even in the most challenging circumstances. Today, too many Americans lose access to alerts when cellular infrastructure is damaged, overwhelmed, or non-existent, particularly in rural areas. And this bill helps to close that gap by ensuring emergency alerts can still be delivered via satellite when traditional networks fail. For me, this issue is personal.
On July 4, devastating floods swept through Central Texas, including the area around Camp Mystic where two of my daughters were attending camp. And when communication systems fail during moments like that, the consequences can be tragic. No family should miss a lifesaving warning simply because the infrastructure went down or service was unavailable. There's still work to be done to incorporate technical assistance into this legislation, but moving the Mystic Alerts Act forward is a meaningful step toward modernizing public safety communications, closing dangerous gaps in emergency alert coverage, and ensuring Americans can receive critical information when it matters the most. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation and yield back.
Speaker 1
Thank you, gentlemen. Is there any further discussion on the bill? For what purposes does the gentleman from Florida seek to recognize?
Speaker 8
Thank you, chairman. Central Florida is home to many rural areas, ranches, orange groves, farms, conservation lands, hunting leases. We also have the busiest spaceport in the world at Cape Canaveral where we've had over 100 launches this year, a 109 to be exact, last year in 2025. And most of those are SpaceX launching Starlink satellites. We also saw Amazon launch a few of the Kuiper Belt satellites.
And so I can appreciate the great bill by Reps. Fluger, Fletcher, and others, the Mystic Alerts Act. And I understand the deep tragedy that this helps to prevent again in Camp Mystic, allowing satellite companies who partner with wireless providers to deliver emergency alerts where cell phone coverage isn't sufficient is absolutely critical. We've seen cell phone service down in Florida, during hurricanes and also in Puerto Rico and, obviously, the tragedy at Camp Mystic. So this is a critical step, I encourage all wireless companies to consider these wireless satellite partnerships to ensure seamless emergency info in rural areas and other areas during disasters. Any yield back?
Speaker 1
Thank you, gentlemen. Is there any further discussion on the bill? What purpose of the gentleman from Georgia seeking to be recognized?
Speaker 9
Mister chairman, I rise in strong support of the bipartisan Alerts Act introduced by Congressman Pfluger. Public safety is one of Congress's most serious responsibilities. This bill addresses a clear and urgent gap in our emergency communication system. Like congressman Pfluger, my family was directly impacted by the camp mystic flooding in Texas, a tragedy that demonstrated how quickly conditions can change and how devastating the consequences can be when people do not receive timely warnings. While we have made real progress in delivering wireless emergency alerts, recent disasters have shown that alerts can fail when terrestrial networks are damaged, overloaded, or unavailable precisely when people need them the most. The Mystic Alerts Act strengthens our emergency alerting framework by directing the FCC to establish standards and requirements that allow alerts to be delivered via satellite connectivity, ensuring redundancy when traditional networks are down.
By incorporating satellite-based capabilities, this bill helps ensure emergency alerts can reach rural communities, disaster zones, and other hard-to-reach areas, improving resilience and saving lives during floods, wildlife wildfires, hurricanes, and other emergencies. This legislation honors the victims of the Camp Mystic flood by taking meaningful action to prevent similar tragedies, and by making our emergency communication system more reliable, modern, and resilient. I commend Congressman Pfluger for his leadership and bipartisan approach, and I urge my colleagues to support the Mystic Alerts Act. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
Speaker 1
Thanks, gentlemen. Is there any further discussion on the bill? Question now occurs on adopting HR 72. All those in favor, say aye. Aye.
Those opposed, no. The ayes have it, and the bill's adopted and forwarded to the full committee. The chair calls up HR 15 19 and asks the clerk to report.
Speaker 1
Without objection, first reading of the bill is dispensed with, and the bill will be open for amendment at any point. So ordered. Does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill? What purpose does the gentleman from Florida seek to be recognized?
Speaker 10
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wanna begin by saying that as the wife of a first responder, I know better than most that emergency communications in times of crisis are paramount. This bill is grounded in deep respect for the men and women who rely on our communication systems every day. First responders, law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, they are the reason why FirstNet exists, and why their voices must always remain central. So I wanna address some of the concerns that have been raised by members of the public safety community, and really clarify their confusion.
This bill does not change any FirstNet governance or authority. It does not take away authority from the FirstNet board. It does not diminish the role of the public safety advisory committee, and it does not allow NTIA to override or delay decisions made by public safety leaders. These protections are intentional. The public safety communications act is about accountability at the federal level, not control over the network.
Today, NTIA already has the responsibilities related to FirstNet and NextGen 911, but those responsibilities are not clearly defined in statute. This bill fixes that by establishing a single dedicated office of public safety communications within the NTIA. It is gonna be led by a career non-political official, and that ensures continuity, expertise, and, importantly, transparency. On FirstNet, the bill simply clarifies NTIA's existing management and oversight role, including conducting regular audits. Oversight does not mean interference.
Nothing in this bill requires FirstNet to seek approval before investing, innovating, or responding to the needs of our first responders. And just as important, this bill strengthens federal coordination for NextGen 911, ensuring that states have a clear, accountable partner as they modernize their emergency systems. Public safety communications should never be political, fragmented, or unclear. Right now, they are. This bill, it fixes that.
It keeps public safety in charge, reduces confusion, and strengthens accountability where it belongs. And I appreciate the engagement from our public safety stakeholders, and remain committed to the collaboration as we move this bill forward. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. And with that, I yield.
Speaker 1
Thank you, gentlelady. Is there any further discussion on the bill? Question now occurs on adopting HR 1519. All those in favor, say aye. Aye.
Those opposed, no. The ayes have it, and the bill's adopted and forwarded to the full committee. Without objection, staff is authorized to make technical and conforming changes to the legislation approved by the committee today. So ordered. I appreciate the committee members for cooperating with getting this important work done.
And I have to tell you as chair of this SOAP committee, the fact that we can work together and accomplish some great things on behalf of the American people, it gives me a lot of pride. Wish everybody a happy weekend, and we'll see you next week. Without objection, the committee stands adjourned.
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