House · HR 5200 · 119th Congress
Emergency Reporting Act
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Summary
This bill tells the Federal Communications Commission to hold yearly public hearings about major communication outages during disasters. After each hearing, the FCC must publish a report on outage length, how many people were affected, and ways to improve networks. The FCC must also study whether 9-1-1 outage rules need to be updated.
In Favor
When disasters strike, phone and internet outages can cut people off from help. This bill forces the FCC to study those outages and share findings with the public every year. Better information means officials can fix weak spots in networks before the next disaster hits.
Against
This bill only requires reports and hearings, so it cannot force any real fixes to communication networks. Producing annual reports costs the FCC time and money with no promise of results. If the findings are ignored, disaster victims may see no real improvement despite the added effort.
Additional Considerations
Purpose & Problem
Is the problem real and worth federal action?
The bill directs the FCC to hold yearly public hearings and publish reports on communication outages during disasters. It also requires the FCC to study gaps in 9-1-1 outage reporting and suggest rule changes.
Scope & Related Provisions
Does it stay focused, or carry unrelated add-ons?
The provisions stay on topic, focusing on disaster communication outage reporting, public hearings, and FCC study of 9-1-1 notification rules.
Who Is Affected
Who benefits, and who bears the cost?
Communications providers must share outage data with the FCC. Public safety agencies, emergency centers, local governments, and residents in disaster areas gain access to published outage reports.
Cost & Funding
Is it affordable and responsibly funded?
The bill requires the FCC to conduct investigations, hold hearings, and publish reports, shifting work onto the agency. No dollar amount is authorized or appropriated, and no fees are created.
Risks & Implementation
What could go wrong in practice?
The FCC must gather and publish outage data without collecting new information beyond what it already has. Gaps in existing data could limit how complete or useful each required report turns out to be.
For the actual bill text, see congress.gov.
AI-generated · Published 5/31/2026