Emergency Reporting Act introduced in Congress

Legislation recently introduced in both houses of Congress seeks to improve the resiliency of communications networks during emergencies.

With extreme weather events on the rise, it is critical to engage the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to help local governments prepare for and respond to major disasters. However, lawmakers say the agency’s response to major disasters has been inconsistent.

The Emergency Reporting Act makes several recommendations on how the FCC can be more involved to ensure that all disasters, regardless of location, receive the necessary time and resources from the FCC. Also, it would improve standards that require mobile carriers to report network outages to 911 centers.

“Natural disasters are becoming a more frequent phenomenon, and we need to ensure our infrastructure is able to withstand whatever comes its way,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA), one of the bill’s sponsors in the House, said. “When disasters strike, first responders and the public depend on their mobile networks and communication systems – but as we’ve seen during wildfires in California, blackouts have left people without this critical service. Folks shouldn’t have to worry about being able to reach out for help or contact loved ones during an emergency. The Federal Communications Commission has a responsibility to address the danger of communications outages during a disaster, and this legislation will give it the direction it needs to respond to future outages and make our communities more resilient.”

It was co-sponsored in the House by Reps. Doris Matsui (D-CA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Mike Thompson (D-CA).

“In the face of a life-threatening emergency, Americans need to be able to rely on our emergency communications networks to get them the aid they need,” Matsui said. “The Emergency Reporting Act will help ensure that the FCC is supporting our state and local partners as they prepare for, respond to, and learn from major disasters – giving our communications networks the resiliency to handle even the worst disasters like our California wildfires. This bill will also support 911 centers and first responders to protect our communities and save American lives.”

This bill passed in the House during the last Congress, but it didn’t make it out of the Senate.

“It is vital that we review the communication infrastructure in place after a major weather event to maximize coordinated public safety information during a future crisis,” Bilirakis said. “These systems must be reliable and standardized to allow for an effective response from local, state, and federal leaders as they recover. Our legislation helps to ensure we are ready to achieve that paramount goal.”

A Senate version of the bill was introduced by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Richard Burr (R-NC).

“We can’t control natural disasters, but we can prepare for our responses to them,” Klobuchar said. “During an emergency, having reliable communications networks saves lives. This bipartisan legislation will ensure we have the resources in place to establish strong communications pathways and provide regular updates to first responders so we can help those in need during crises.”