119-HR-5200 Journalist Public Summary
119 · HR 5200 Emergency Reporting Act
A bipartisan House bill would require the FCC to hold yearly public hearings after major disasters that trigger its reporting system, then publish 120‑day after-action reports on internet and phone outages and 9‑1‑1 impacts, plus study improvements to outage notifications. As of January 16, 2026, it has been forwarded by a subcommittee to the full House Energy & Commerce Committee.
Public Summary: Emergency Reporting Act (H.R. 5200)
Headline Summary: After big disasters, the FCC would have to hold public hearings and publish clear reports on how internet, wireless, and 9‑1‑1 systems held up—and study ways to make outage alerts to emergency centers more useful.
What It Does
The bill tells the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to shine more light on how communications networks perform during major disasters and to evaluate improvements to outage reporting.
- Requires the FCC, once a year, to hold at least one public hearing covering any disaster in the prior year where its Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) stayed active for 7 days or more.
- Within 120 days after each hearing, the FCC must publish a report summarizing: numbers and durations of outages to broadband, VoIP, wireless voice, and mobile data; how many users and how much infrastructure were potentially affected; 9‑1‑1 service disruptions (including caller location/number issues); and recommendations to strengthen resiliency.
- Reports must be posted online, with confidential information withheld under existing FCC rules.
- Within one year of enactment, the FCC must study and report on: (1) whether adding visuals (like maps) to outage notifications would help emergency communications centers; (2) the kinds of 9‑1‑1 outages that may go unreported under current thresholds; (3) the trade‑offs between added value and provider burden; and (4) any rule changes the FCC recommends.
- Clarifies that this bill does not expand the FCC’s authority over broadband providers beyond what’s specifically in the text.
Why It Matters
- For residents and first responders: Clear, public after‑action reports can reveal where networks failed and what needs fixing, helping 9‑1‑1 centers and communities prepare for the next event.
- For utilities and telecom providers: A regular forum and timeline for feedback can surface systemic problems (like backup power, fiber cuts, or tower access) and align investments with real‑world risks.
- For policymakers: Standardized reporting across technologies (broadband, mobile voice/data, VoIP, 9‑1‑1) can guide funding and oversight without waiting for ad‑hoc investigations.
Who’s For It
- Primary sponsors: Rep. Doris Matsui (D‑CA) and Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R‑FL), indicating bipartisan interest.
- Likely supportive stakeholders (based on the bill’s aims): emergency managers, 9‑1‑1 leaders, and some consumer advocates who favor clearer, public outage information and post‑disaster accountability.
Who’s Against It
- No specific opposition is listed in the bill text.
- Possible concerns that could emerge: (1) added reporting or notification complexity for providers; (2) risks of exposing sensitive infrastructure details if reports are not carefully redacted; (3) duplication with existing FCC outage systems if not well‑coordinated.
What’s Next
Status as of January 16, 2026: H.R. 5200 was introduced on September 8, 2025, referred to the House Energy & Commerce Committee and its Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, marked up on January 15, 2026, and forwarded by the subcommittee to the full committee by voice vote.
Discussion