Emergency Reporting Act
Following prolonged disasters that knock out phone and internet service for at least a week, the Federal Communications Commission must hold public hearings with affected residents, first responders, and service providers to examine the failures. Within four months of each hearing, the agency must publish a public report detailing the scope of mobile, broadband, and 9-1-1 outages, estimating how many people were cut off, and recommending ways to strengthen local networks. Regulators must also study whether telecom companies should provide 9-1-1 centers with visual outage maps and investigate how many emergency system failures currently go unreported.
What this bill touches.
Who it helps · who it burdens.
Who it helps
- Emergency communications centers and 9-1-1 operatorsBenefit from federal review and recommendations aimed at improving situational awareness, identifying unreported 9-1-1 disruptions, and evaluating visual outage maps in notifications sent to call centers (Sec. 2(a)(2)(C), Sec. 2(b)).
- Residents of disaster-affected areasGain public access to detailed FCC reports documenting the extent and duration of broadband, mobile, and phone service failures during major disasters, as well as recommendations to improve network resiliency (Sec. 2(a)(2), Sec. 2(a)(4)).
Who it burdens
- Federal Communications CommissionMust hold at least one annual public hearing examining prolonged disaster reporting system activations, publish comprehensive reports on phone, broadband, and 9-1-1 outages within 120 days of each hearing, and complete an investigation into outage alert improvements within one year (Sec. 2(a), 2(b)).
The provisions, in plain language.
Requires the Federal Communications Commission to hold at least one annual public hearing examining major emergencies where its disaster reporting system was activated for at least seven days, inviting input from affected residents, local and tribal officials, utilities, and emergency responders.
Requires the Federal Communications Commission to publish a public report within 120 days after each hearing detailing the duration and scope of phone, broadband, and 9-1-1 outages during those disasters and recommending ways to strengthen communications network resilience.
Directs the Federal Communications Commission to study and report within one year on improving outage alerts sent to 9-1-1 call centers, including evaluating visual outage maps and identifying 9-1-1 disruptions that currently go unreported.
How your members of Congress line up
How members voted on Emergency Reporting Act.
Recorded roll calls on this bill, most recent first. Open one to see each member's position.
How it moved.
Show all 16 actions
- Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 375.
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 386 - 7 (Roll no. 126). (text: CR H2974-2975)
- Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 386 - 7 (Roll no. 126). (text: CR H2974-2975)
- Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2976-2978)
- At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5200.
- Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2974-2976)
- Mr. Allen moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 517.
- Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-597.
- Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
- Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Introduced in House
- Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 375.
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 386 - 7 (Roll no. 126). (text: CR H2974-2975)
- Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 386 - 7 (Roll no. 126). (text: CR H2974-2975)
- Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-597.
- Introduced in House
Read it for yourself.
Sources & provenance
Cite this page
Civic Herald. “Emergency Reporting Act (H.R. 5200, 119th Congress).” https://civicherald.app/bills/119-hr-5200. Congress.gov record as of Jul 17, 2026.