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CIVIC HERALD
HR 5201 · 119th Congress · HouseIn committee

Kari's Law Reporting Act

In plain language: Federal rules require multi-line phone systems—such as those in hotels, schools, and offices—to connect directly to 911 without dialing a prefix like "9" first. This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to publish an assessment of whether phone equipment manufacturers and vendors are complying with that requirement. The agency must also identify obstacles to compliance, explore ways to improve its enforcement, and recommend any new laws Congress might need to pass to keep 911 direct-dialing reliable.

Provisional: our plain-language summary, pending review.

Provisionalunreviewed: impact, provisions, stakeholders, summary
People affectedThe text directs an agency reporting action and does not quantify or directly regulate an identifiable population.
Fiscal magnitudeThe text contains no appropriations, fees, or direct fiscal authorizations.
Reach12provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
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Issues

What this bill touches.

Market protections+12Ethics & oversight+14Regulation (cross-sector)+10

The sign shows the bill's direction on each issue (+ toward, − away); the number is its magnitude. Color never encodes good or bad, and never party.

Who it affects

Who it helps · who it burdens.

Who it burdens

  • Federal Communications CommissionThe FCC is required to research, prepare, and publicly post a report within 180 days evaluating multi-line telephone system compliance, compliance obstacles, enforcement improvements, and legislative recommendations (Sec. 2(a)).provisional

Dollar-level funding (FEC sector totals) is coming in a later phase.

What it does

The provisions, in plain language.

  1. Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publish a public report on its website within 180 days assessing compliance with direct 911 dialing requirements for multi-line phone systems, detailing obstacles to compliance, outlining options to improve enforcement, and offering legislative recommendations to Congress.

    Sec. 2(a)provisional

How your members of Congress line up

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Timeline

How it moved.

  1. Apr 22, 2026Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  2. Apr 21, 2026Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  3. Apr 21, 2026On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 405 - 5 (Roll no. 127). (text: CR 4/20/2026 H2976)
  4. Apr 21, 2026Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 405 - 5 (Roll no. 127). (text: CR 4/20/2026 H2976)
  5. Mar 26, 2026Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-574.
  6. Mar 26, 2026Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-574.
  7. Sep 8, 2025Introduced in House
  8. Sep 8, 2025Introduced in House

The original text

Read it for yourself.

Sources & provenance

Congress.govrefreshed 9 days ago

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