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Round-Up for the Week of April 20-24, 2026

On April 20, the House of Representatives approved six communications-related bills that could impact broadband deployment initiatives and enhance emergency communications networks. Five of the bills will now move to the Senate for review; one will head to President Trump's desk.

Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act

The Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act (H.R.1343), introduced by Reps. August Pfluger (R-TX) and Darren Soto (D-FL), aims to improve broadband deployment transparency. Specifically, the bill would require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to submit—within 180 days of the bill's enactment—a comprehensive plan to Congress detailing how the agency will track the acceptance, processing, and disposal of broadband permitting applications on federal lands. These permitting applications are essential for accessing easements and rights-of-way to build or maintain telecommunications infrastructure. The NTIA will also detail how it will quickly implement its plan and any potential barriers it could face.

Rep. Pfluger said about the bill:

H.R. 1343 has now been referred to the Senate Commerce Committee, chaired by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX).

Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act

The Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act (H.R. 1681) is aimed at improving access to high-speed internet in rural and underserved communities, especially in states with large amounts of federal land. H.R. 1681—introduced by Reps. Angie Craig (D-MN) and Gabe Evans (R-CO)—streamlines the permitting process for broadband projects on federally-managed lands by directing the NTIA to lead an interagency strike force with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Department of the Interior to improve coordination, set review goals, and hold agencies accountable.

The Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information (NTIA Administrator) must assemble this strike force within 180 days of the bill's passage. The primary goals of the strike force would be to:

• conduct periodic calls between the members of the strike force to ensure that each Federal land management agency prioritizes the review of requests for communications use authorizations;

• establish objective and reasonable goals for the review of requests for communications use authorizations; and

• monitor and facilitate the accountability of each Federal land management agency, with respect to meeting such goals.

Within 270 days of the bill's enactment, the NTIA Administrator must submit to Congress a report on the effectiveness of the strike force.

"We should be making it easier, not harder, to expand broadband infrastructure, and that’s exactly what my bill will do," said Rep. Craig. "I’m proud to see the House pass this important legislation today and will keep working to get it passed in the Senate and signed into law."

H.R. 1681 has also been referred to the Senate Commerce Committee.

Emergency Reporting Act

The Emergency Reporting Act (H.R. 5200), introduced by Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) and cosponsored by Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA), directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to issue reports after activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) and to make improvements to network outage reporting.

DIRS is a web-based system through which the FCC collects operational status and restoration information from communications providers during major disasters and subsequent recovery efforts. DIRS offers communications providers a single, coordinated, and consistent process for reporting their communications infrastructure status and requesting assistance. Cable, wireline, wireless, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers are required to report their infrastructure status information daily when the FCC activates DIRS in geographic areas where they provide service. Within 24 hours of the FCC’s deactivation of DIRS, these providers must also provide a single, final report to the FCC detailing the state of the infrastructure at the time of deactivation and an estimated date of resolution of any remaining outages.

If this bill becomes law, the FCC would be required to hold at least one public hearing each year on all events over the past year in which DIRS was activated for seven days or more. The FCC must then issue a report that includes:

• The number and duration of any outages of broadband internet access service, interconnected VoIP service, commercial mobile service, and commercial mobile data service;
• The approximate number of users and the amount of communications infrastructure potentially affected by an outage;
• The number and duration of any outages that prevent emergency communications centers from receiving caller location or number information or receiving emergency calls and routing such calls to emergency service personnel; and
• Any recommendations of the FCC on how to improve the resiliency of affected communications services or networks.

"I am proud to lead this legislation because in an emergency, Americans must be able to trust that a call to 9-1-1 will go through," said Rep. Matsui. "The Emergency Reporting Act will help us better understand and address communications failures during disasters."

The Emergency Reporting Act has been placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar and is awaiting Senate floor consideration.

Mystic Alerts Act

The Mystic Alerts Act (H.R. 7022) provides for wireless emergency alerts to be transmitted to mobile devices via satellite. This bill was introduced by Reps. Pfluger, Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), Buddy Carter (R-GA), and Marc Veasey (D-TX).

The goal of this bill is to integrate satellite networks into the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system, which warns the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations via cell phones and other mobile devices. Currently, wireless emergency alerts are sent via terrestrial mobile networks to individual devices in geographically targeted areas. Wireless internet service providers are not required to participate; only devices connected to a participating service provider’s network receive alerts.

Under the Mystic Alerts Act, wireless internet service providers that participate in the wireless emergency alerts system would be required to give the FCC notice indicating whether they will also send alerts via satellite, in addition to terrestrial networks. The FCC would have to establish technical standards and other regulations to enable satellite emergency alerts. Providers that opt to transmit emergency alerts via satellite would have to comply with the FCC's regulations.

Wireless providers would have 60 days after the bill's enactment to inform the FCC of their decision about whether they intend to send emergency alerts by satellite. If a provider chooses not to send satellite alerts, the provider must give notice of that choice to new and existing subscribers. Separately, mobile service subscribers may opt out of receiving satellite alerts.

Rep. Fletcher said:

The Mystic Alerts Act has been referred to the Senate Commerce Committee.

First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act of 2026

The First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act of 2026 (H.R. 7386) would extend the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) through Fiscal Year (FY)  2037 and modify its management. The bill is sponsored by Reps. Neal Dunn (R-FL) and Jennifer McLellan (D-VA).

The FirstNet Authority is an independent agency within NTIA. H.R. 7386 would remove the FirstNet Authority’s independent status and establish an associate administrator in the NTIA to manage the FirstNet Authority’s operations. The FirstNet Authority’s actions would be subject to NTIA approval, with exceptions established by the NTIA. The FirstNet Authority’s Board would change to include at least five (currently, there are three) individuals who have served as public safety professionals.

The entity contracted to develop and operate FirstNet (currently, AT&T) would have to notify the FirstNet Authority within 30 minutes of any network outage and provide users with a network status tool to monitor outages. Every five years, the operating entity would have to submit a business continuity and disaster recovery plan to the NTIA for approval to ensure rapid restoration of the network following disaster-caused outages. Annual audits of the FirstNet Authority would include an evaluation of AT&T’s performance. The NTIA would brief Congress annually on FirstNet and provide annual reports on cybersecurity and network adoption rates. 

Within seven years after the bill’s enactment, the Government Accountability Office will report on what action Congress should take regarding the termination of FirstNet Authority in fiscal year 2037.

NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth released a statement about the bill's passage:

H.R. 7386 has been referred to the Senate Commerce Committee.

The Rural Broadband Protection Act

The Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2025 (S. 98) passed the House after originating in the Senate and advancing there. The bill was sponsored by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Curtis (R-UT), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA). Having passed both chambers, this bill is awaiting the President's signature before becoming law.

The Rural Broadband Protection Act will require the FCC to establish a process to vet applicants for certain funding programs that support affordable broadband deployment in high-cost areas, including rural communities. Specifically, the FCC must conduct a rulemaking to develop a vetting process for applicants seeking funding under high-cost Universal Service Fund programs for the deployment of a broadband-capable network and the provision of supported services over the network. The FCC must require applications for such funding to document each applicant’s technical, financial, and operational capabilities related to the proposed deployment, as well as a reasonable business plan. 

The FCC will have to evaluate applications against reasonable and well-established standards and consider each applicant’s history of compliance with the requirements of other government broadband funding programs. After the rulemaking is finalized, funds may only be awarded to applicants that satisfy the standards established therein. 

Finally, the FCC will set financial penalties for applicants who default in any manner during the evaluation process before they are authorized to begin receiving support.  

"This legislation ensures that when Congress sends broadband dollars to states, those dollars actually reach rural areas through proven providers, safeguarding every dollar toward connecting Hoosier families and Americans nationwide," said Rep. Erin Houchin (D-IN), who sponsored the House companion bill. I’m proud to have authored and championed this bill in the House and am pleased it now heads to President Trump's desk."

NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association also applauded the passage of the Rural Broadband Protection Act:

Next Steps for These Bills

The first five of these bills now head to the Senate for a vote. There is a companion bill to the Emergency Reporting Act—The Enhancing First Response Act (S.725) was passed by the Senate in September 2025, and sits in the House. S.725 included the provisions in the Emergency Reporting Act as well as further provisions around emergency communications, some of which were also passed separately by the House this April in the Kari's Law Reporting Act (H.R. 5201). H.R. 5201 would require the FCC to publish a report on the enforcement of Kari’s Law, which allows telephone users to dial 9-1-1 directly from any phone without dialing any additional code or prefix.

As for the Rural Broadband Protection Act, it awaits signing.

Quick Bits

• Sec Lutnick Aiming for Non-Deployment Guidance ‘Over the Next Two Months’
• FCC Chairman Carr describes plan for “top-to-bottom review” of USF
• House Republicans Introduce Pair of Privacy Bills

Weekend Reads

• Measuring the Direct-to-Device Marketplace: 2026
• Assessing the state of AI adoption across the federal government
• Five Concerns About AI Data Centers, and What to Do About Them

ICYMI from Benton

• What Information is Treasury Collecting on SLFRF Broadband Projects?
• Is It Time To Reform USAC?
• Agendas, Goals, and Performance: What the FCC Says it Did for Broadband Deployment in FY2025 (...and What it Left Out)
• The Trump Administration is Using BEAD Funds as a Cudgel. Is that Legal?

Upcoming Events

Apr 29—Connecting One: Minnesota 2026 Broadband Summit (Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development)

Apr 30—April 2026 Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting (Federal Communications Commission)

Apr 30—Digital Equity Community of Practice Meeting (California Department of Technology)

May 11—Why the Security Industry Is Fighting a Monopolistic Wireless Spectrum Proposal (Security Industry Association)

May 14—Cybersecurity Workshop for Broadcasters (Federal Communications Commission)

May 15—Cybersecurity Workshop for Telecommunications Carriers (Federal Communications Commission)

May 20—May 2026 Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting (Federal Communications Commission)

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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