All Roll Calls
Yes: 386 • No: 7
119-hr-5200119th CongressWALLET
Emergency Reporting Act
Sponsored By: Representative Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7]
Passed House
Summary
This Act forces the FCC to improve and publish outage reporting and resilience plans after Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) activations. It also mandates stakeholder public hearings tied to prolonged DIRS activations to surface gaps and fixes.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Clear definitions for outage reporting
This section would define who and what must be counted in FCC outage reporting. It would define broadband, mobile voice and data, and VoIP services. It would define emergency communications centers and key government terms. These definitions would take effect if the bill becomes law.
FCC outage hearings and reports
Not later than 1 year after enactment, and each year after, the FCC would hold at least one public hearing. Hearings would cover events from the prior year when the Disaster Information Reporting System was active for 7 days or more. The FCC would consider input from affected governments, residents, providers, utilities, schools, federal agencies, and first responders. Within 120 days after each hearing, the FCC would publish a report using DIRS and hearing information. The report would list outage counts and lengths for broadband, VoIP, and mobile; estimate users and infrastructure affected; note 9-1-1 location and call routing outages; and give resiliency steps. The FCC would post the report online and keep confidential data private.
Study to improve 9-1-1 outage alerts
Within 1 year of enactment, the FCC would study how to make outage notices to 9-1-1 centers better. It would assess adding visual information from providers in those notices to improve situational awareness. It would review how many 9-1-1 outages go unreported under current thresholds. The FCC would publish a report with recommended rule changes.
Limits on FCC power over broadband
This section would not give the FCC any broadband authority beyond what this text states. It would act as a guardrail on FCC actions under this section. The limit would start if the bill becomes law.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7]
CA • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
FL • R
Sponsored 9/8/2025
Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44]
CA • D
Sponsored 9/17/2025
Roll Call Votes
house vote • 4/20/2026
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass
Yes: 386 • No: 7