H.R. 1250 – Emergency Reporting Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 7, 2026 at 11:07 PM UTC

The Emergency Reporting Act directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to create and publish reports after the Disaster Information Reporting System is used during a major emergency. It requires the FCC to issue a preliminary report within six weeks, hold a public hearing within eight months, and release a final report with recommendations within a year. The law also forces the FCC to set new rules so telecom providers must quickly notify 9‑1‑1 centers about service outages that could block emergency calls. It mainly affects the FCC, telecom companies, public safety answering points, and the public during large‑scale disasters.

Key Provisions

FCC must issue a preliminary report within 6 weeks after a disaster event ends, covering outages of broadband, VoIP, mobile voice and data, and impacts on users and public‑safety answering points
FCC must hold at least one public field hearing in the affected area within 8 months, inviting officials, residents, providers, utilities, and first‑responders
FCC must issue a final report within 12 months, including the earlier data and recommendations to improve communications resilience
All reports must be published on the FCC website, except for exempt information
Within one year, FCC must adopt rules requiring telecom providers subject to 9‑1‑1 regulations to promptly notify public‑safety answering points of service disruptions that affect 9‑1‑1 call origination, automatic location information, or automatic number identification, with specified timing

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

10 earlier actions

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

July 21, 2021

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 23, 2021

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Energy and Commerce Committee

February 23, 2021

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

Communications and Technology Subcommittee

February 24, 2021

HouseFloor

Mr. Pallone moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

July 19, 2021 • 2:37 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3642-3644; text: CR H3642-3643)

July 19, 2021 • 2:37 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1250.

July 19, 2021 • 2:37 PM

HouseFloor

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.

July 19, 2021 • 2:43 PM

HouseFloor

Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 535, proceedings on H.R. 1250 are considered vacated.

July 20, 2021 • 4:44 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: Pursuant to section 7 of H. Res. 535, and the motion offered by Mr. Hoyer, the following bills passed under suspension of the rules: H.R. 678; H.R. 1036; H.R. 1079, as amended; H.R. 1158; H.R. 1250; H.R. 1754; H.R. 1833, as amended; H.R. 1850; H.R. 1871; H.R. 1877, as amended; H.R. 1893; H.R. 1895; H.R. 2118; H.R. 2795, as amended; H.R. 2928; H.R. 2980, as amended; H.R. 3003; H.R. 3138, as amended; H.R. 3223; H.R. 3263; and H.R. 3264; and the following resolutions were agreed to under suspension of the rules: H. Res. 277; and H. Res. 294.(consideration: CR H3715-3730; text: CR H3717-3718)

July 20, 2021 • 4:44 PM

HouseFloor

Pursuant to section 7 of H. Res. 535, and the motion offered by Mr. Hoyer, the following bills passed under suspension of the rules: H.R. 678; H.R. 1036; H.R. 1079, as amended; H.R. 1158; H.R. 1250; H.R. 1754; H.R. 1833, as amended; H.R. 1850; H.R. 1871; H.R. 1877, as amended; H.R. 1893; H.R. 1895; H.R. 2118; H.R. 2795, as amended; H.R. 2928; H.R. 2980, as amended; H.R. 3003; H.R. 3138, as amended; H.R. 3223; H.R. 3263; and H.R. 3264; and the following resolutions were agreed to under suspension of the rules: H. Res. 277; and H. Res. 294. (consideration: CR H3715-3730; text: CR H3717-3718)

July 20, 2021 • 4:44 PM

SenateIntro Referral

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

July 21, 2021

Floor Debate

7 members

What members said about H.R. 1250 on the floor

+2

4 Republicans3 Democrats

Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr.D-NJ-6 · Jul 19, 2021

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1250) to direct the Federal Communications Commission to issue reports after activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System…

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1250) to direct the Federal Communications Commission to issue reports after activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System and to make improvements to network outage reporting.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1250.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1250, the Emergency Reporting Act. This is an important and timely piece of legislation as many of our Western States are currently experiencing devastating wildfires, and as we enter another Atlantic hurricane season, obviously, it is important in my area as well.

We rely on our communication devices every day, but it is critical that we have a signal or a connection during an emergency. In our world today, connectivity isn't a luxury; it is essential to ensuring our collective safety. Often, it can be the difference between life and death.

It is the responsibility of the Federal Communications Commission to ensure that Americans stay connected when it matters most and that communication providers are prepared for whatever disasters might come their way. So if we want to improve the reliability of the communication networks, we must begin with better data.

The Disaster Information Reporting Systems, or DIRS, was launched by the FCC in 2007 so that the communication providers could report the status of communications systems during disasters.

In some cases, DIRS is activated in advance of a potential storm as a precautionary measure. In more extreme cases, DIRS is activated in the lead-up to a disaster and stays active for days on end. That is because networks can go on- and offline even after a storm's end.

Under this bill, the FCC would be required to conduct an analysis of any disaster or event for which DIRS is activated by the FCC and stays active for a minimum of 7 days.

First, the FCC would be required to issue a preliminary report within 6 weeks after the date DIRS is deactivated, and this report would include detailed information about the number of outages, whether communications infrastructure was affected, and how many 911 centers were affected by service outages.

The bill would then require the FCC to hold a field hearing not later than 8 months after the Commission deactivates DIRS. By making sure the FCC gets out of Washington and sees and hears real stories from the impacted areas, the FCC will get the opportunity to examine these events, the outages they cause, and how we can prevent them from happening in the future.

I commend Representative Matsui, a senior leader of our committee, for her leadership on this bill and her passion for improving communications resiliency and reliability.

I also thank my Republican colleagues for working with us to move this bill through the Energy and Commerce Committee and out of the full House last Congress. This is a good bill that will help us make our communication systems more resilient in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the measure and look forward to its consideration by the Senate and the President, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I have no speakers, so the gentleman from Ohio may proceed.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Anna G. EshooD-CA-18 · Jul 20, 2021

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1250, the Emergency Reporting Act, bipartisan legislation I co-authored to improve how the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reports on and learns…

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1250, the Emergency Reporting Act, bipartisan legislation I co-authored to improve how the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reports on and learns from the impact of natural disasters on our telecommunications networks.

The human impacts of disasters are worsened when our communications infrastructure is not resilient and this is an issue Californians know all too well. On October 28, 2019, 874 cell towers were out in California, caused by wildfires and power shutoffs. My constituents were panicked about not being able to call 9-1-1 during emergencies, receive emergency alerts, download evacuation maps, or check-in on loved ones. This horrific situation led my good friend, Congresswoman Matsui, and me to work on this legislation.

H.R. 1250, the Emergency Reporting Act, requires the FCC to hold field hearings after disasters, issue preliminary and final reports about each disaster, and ensure 9-1-1 centers know when outages will impact calls they may receive.

Wildfires are becoming more intense and more frequent because of climate change. Last year, the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burned 86,509 acres in my Congressional District, making it the 12th most destructive fire in California history. Seventy-seven thousand of my constituents were evacuated and the fire destroyed nearly 1,500 homes, businesses, and other buildings.

I've long called on FCC leadership to visit California and hold field hearings following the wildfires and associated power shutoffs, and many of my colleagues from California have done the same. We need to learn from every disaster, especially by listening to and learning from local public safety leaders, municipal, county, and state officials, and members of the communities impacted. This should be required.

Last Congress, the Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing on February

27, 2020 on the Emergency Reporting Act. On March 10, 2020, the Subcommittee marked up the Emergency Reporting Act, and the full Committee did so on July 15, 2020. On September 21, 2020, the full House passed the bill via voice vote. Sadly, the Senate did not take up this critical bill.

On February 25, 2021, the legislation was reintroduced by Reps. Doris Matsui, Mike Thompson, Jared Huffman, Gus Bilirakis, and myself. Senators Klobuchar and Burr have companion legislation in the Senate.

H.R. 1250 is critical legislation for Californians impacted by wildfires. It will also help those on the Gulf Coast victimized by hurricanes, Midwesterners who've had their communities destroyed by tornadoes, and those in the Northeast who have experienced far too many superstorms.

I urge my House colleagues to once again vote for the Emergency Reporting Act and urge the Senate to do so as well.

Rep. Robert E. LattaR-OH-5 · Jul 19, 2021

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1250, the Emergency Reporting Act, that was introduced by Representatives Matsui, Bilirakis,…

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1250, the Emergency Reporting Act, that was introduced by Representatives Matsui, Bilirakis, Eshoo, Thompson, and Huffman.

Today's legislation will allow 911 centers across the country to have access to confidential information on potential 911 outages, subject to appropriate safeguards.

In times of disaster, 911 public safety answering points do not always know that 911 calls may not be going through. The Federal Communications Commission, the FCC, currently collects information on the status of communications infrastructure and communications network outage information. They make that information available to the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate overall emergency response efforts within a State between State and local first responders.

Given the sensitive nature of this data to both national security and commercial competitiveness, this information is confidential. However, as first responders work to ensure the 911 system can seamlessly get back online and route calls to the neighboring call centers, access to this confidential information is important.

This bill would help make timely outage information available to help first responders on the ground restore service as quickly as possible.

The bill also requires the FCC to hold a field hearing in areas in which the Commission's Disaster Information Reporting System, DIRS, is activated for more than 7 days and to provide an initial and final report on the status of communication networks.

The FCC only activates the DIRS system for significant natural disasters, such as major hurricanes or wildfires, and the bill limits these types of reports to only areas where damage was significant and sustained.

This is an important bill to the resiliency of public safety networks, and I urge my colleagues to support the measure.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is, again, a very important piece of legislation that has come out of the Energy and Commerce Committee. It is important to make sure that we do have that resiliency out there for our 911 system, which is so important to that person picking up that phone call but also who is receiving it on the other end.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to pass the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Rick W. AllenR-GA-12 · Jul 20, 2021

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 212. members recorded pursuant to house resolution 8, 117th congress Aderholt (Moolenaar) Buchanan (LaHood) DeSaulnier…

Rep. Steny H. HoyerD-MD-5 · Jul 20, 2021

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 7 of House Resolution 535, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bills: H.R. 678; H.R. 1036; H.R. 1079; H.R. 1158; H.R. 1250; H.R. 1754; H.R. 1833; H.R. 1850;

Show 3 more

Rep. Pete StauberR-MN-8 · Jul 20, 2021

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 212.

Rep. Matthew M. Rosendale, Sr.R-MT · Jul 19, 2021

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Rep. Matthew M. Rosendale, Sr.R-MT · Jul 20, 2021

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Bill Text

3 versions available

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Referred in SenateIssued July 21, 2021

IIB

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1250

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 21, 2021

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

AN ACT

To direct the Federal Communications Commission to issue reports after activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System and to make improvements to network outage reporting.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Emergency Reporting Act.

2.

Reports after activation of disaster information reporting system; improvements to network outage reporting

(a)

Reports after activation of disaster information reporting system

(1)

Preliminary report

(A)

In general

Not later than 6 weeks after the deactivation of the Disaster Information Reporting System with respect to an event for which the System was activated for at least 7 days, the Commission shall issue a preliminary report on, with respect to such event and to the extent known—

(i)

the number and duration of any outages of—

(I)

broadband internet access service;

(II)

interconnected VoIP service;

(III)

commercial mobile service; and

(IV)

commercial mobile data service;

(ii)

the approximate number of users or the amount of communications infrastructure potentially affected by an outage described in clause (i);

(iii)

the number and duration of any outages at public safety answering points that prevent public safety answering points from receiving emergency calls and routing such calls to emergency service personnel; and

(iv)

any additional information determined appropriate by the Commission.

(B)

Development of report

The Commission shall develop the report required by subparagraph (A) using information collected by the Commission, including information collected by the Commission through the System.

(2)

Public field hearings

(A)

Requirement

Not later than 8 months after the deactivation of the Disaster Information Reporting System with respect to an event for which the System was activated for at least 7 days, the Commission shall hold at least 1 public field hearing in the area affected by such event.

(B)

Inclusion of certain individuals in hearings

For each public field hearing held under subparagraph (A), the Commission shall consider including—

(i)

representatives of State government, local government, or Indian Tribal governments in areas affected by such event;

(ii)

residents of the areas affected by such event, or consumer advocates;

(iii)

providers of communications services affected by such event;

(iv)

faculty of institutions of higher education;

(v)

representatives of other Federal agencies;

(vi)

electric utility providers;

(vii)

communications infrastructure companies; and

(viii)

first responders, emergency managers, or 9–1–1 directors in areas affected by such event.

(3)

Final report

Not later than 12 months after the deactivation of the Disaster Information Reporting System with respect to an event for which the System was activated for at least 7 days, the Commission shall issue a final report that includes, with respect to such event—

(A)

the information described under paragraph (1)(A); and

(B)

any recommendations of the Commission on how to improve the resiliency of affected communications or networks recovery efforts.

(4)

Development of reports

In developing a report required under this subsection, the Commission shall consider information collected by the Commission, including information collected by the Commission through the System, and any public hearing described in paragraph (2) with respect to the applicable event.

(5)

Publication

The Commission shall publish each report, excluding information that is otherwise exempt from public disclosure under the rules of the Commission, issued under this subsection on the website of the Commission upon the issuance of such report.

(b)

Improvements to network outage reporting

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall conduct a proceeding and, after public notice and an opportunity for comment, adopt rules to—

(1)

determine the circumstances under which to require service providers subject to the 9–1–1 regulations established under part 9 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, to submit a timely notification, (in an easily accessible format that facilities situational awareness) to public safety answering points regarding communications service disruptions within the assigned territories of such public safety answering points that prevent—

(A)

the origination of 9–1–1 calls;

(B)

the delivery of Automatic Location Information; or

(C)

Automatic Number Identification;

(2)

require such notifications to be made; and

(3)

specify the appropriate timing of such notification.

(c)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Automatic location information; automatic number identification

The terms Automatic Location Information and Automatic Number Identification have the meaning given those terms in section 9.3 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.

(2)

Broadband internet access service

The term broadband internet access service has the meaning given such term in section 8.1(b) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.

(3)

Commercial mobile service

The term commercial mobile service has the meaning given such term in section 332(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 332(d)).

(4)

Commercial mobile data service

The term commercial mobile data service has the meaning given such term in section 6001 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1401).

(5)

Commission

The term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission.

(6)

Indian tribal government; local government

The terms Indian Tribal government and Indian Tribal Government have the meaning given those terms in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121).

(7)

Interconnected voip service

The term interconnected VoIP service has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153).

(8)

Public safety answering point

The term public safety answering point has the meaning given such term in section 222 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 222).

(9)

State

The term State has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153).

Passed the House of Representatives July 20, 2021.

Cheryl L. Johnson,

Clerk