This bill strengthens reporting on communications outages during disasters. The FCC must issue reports on extended Disaster Information Reporting System activations and hold public hearings in affected areas. It reclassifies 911 dispatchers as protective service workers and requires a report on compliance with direct 911 dialing requirements.
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AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill strengthens reporting on communications outages during disasters. The FCC must issue reports on extended Disaster Information Reporting System activations and hold public hearings in affected areas. It reclassifies 911 dispatchers as protective service workers and requires a report on compliance with direct 911 dialing requirements.
Last updated: 1/6/2026
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Enhancing First Response Act</strong></p><p>This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to report on certain activations of the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS). DIRS is a reporting system that is activated during severe weather and other events impacting communications service and enables communications providers to report outages and other degradations to service.</p><p>If the system was activated for at least seven days, the FCC must issue a preliminary report that includes information about the number, duration, and nature of all associated outages. The FCC must also hold at least one public field hearing in the area affected by the event, and it must issue a final report that includes recommendations for improving the resiliency of affected networks or recovery efforts.</p><p>Separately, the FCC must publish a general report on (1) the volume and nature of 9-1-1 outages that are not required to be reported under current outage notification rules, and (2) the value to public safety agencies of the inclusion of visual information in outage notifications from communications providers.</p><p>The bill also requires the Office of Management and Budget, by 30 days after the bill's enactment, to categorize public safety telecommunicators as a protective service occupation under the Standard Occupational Classification System.</p><p>Finally, the Office of the Inspector General of the FCC is directed to publish a report on the implementation of Kari’s Law, which requires multiline telephone systems to be preconfigured to allow users to dial 9-1-1 directly from any phone without dialing any additional code or prefix.</p>
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Requires FCC reports on disaster communications outages
Mandates public hearings in disaster-affected areas
Reclassifies 911 dispatchers as protective service occupation
Reviews compliance with direct 911 dialing requirements
Addresses network resiliency and recovery recommendations
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
Communities hit by major disasters would receive better information about communications failures. 911 dispatchers would gain recognition as protective service workers. The FCC would provide recommendations for improving network resilience during emergencies.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Science, Technology, Communications
Related Subjects
Congressional oversight
Emergency communications systems
Emergency planning and evacuation
First responders and emergency personnel
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Telephone and wireless communication
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
725, 119th Congress (2025). "Enhancing First Response Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-725