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April 20, 2026
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Download official House Record PDFReturn to issue contextMr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7386) to amend the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 to reauthorize the First Responder Network Authority, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 7386
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.—This Act may be cited as the “First
Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act of 2026”.
(b) Table of Contents.—The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF FIRST RESPONDER NETWORK AUTHORITY.
Section 6206 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job
Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1426) is amended—
(1) in subsection (f), by striking “the date that is 15
years after the date of enactment of this title” and
inserting “September 30, 2037”; and
(2) in subsection (g)—
(A) by striking “Not later than 10 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act” and inserting “Not later than 7
years after the date of the enactment of the First Responder
Network Authority Reauthorization Act of 2026”;
(B) by striking “15-year sunset” and inserting
“termination”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following: “Such report shall
also contain recommendations for Congress and the NTIA
regarding preparations for the expiration of any contract
between the First Responder Network Authority and the
FirstNet contractor with respect to building, operating, or
maintaining the nationwide public safety broadband
network.”.
SEC. 3. AUTHORITY OF NTIA OVER FIRST RESPONDER NETWORK
AUTHORITY.
(a) In General.—Subtitle B of title VI of the Middle Class
Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1421 et
seq.) is amended—
(1) in section 6204(a), by striking “as an independent
authority”;
(2) in section 6206—
(A) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), (f), and (g) as
subsections (e), (f), (g), and (h), respectively;
(B) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
“(d) Actions Subject to Approval of NTIA.—
“(1) In general.—Any action taken by the First Responder
Network Authority shall be subject to the approval of the
NTIA.
“(2) Manner of approval.—
“(A) Prior approval.—Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), the First Responder Network Authority may not take an
action unless the NTIA has provided prior approval for such
action.
“(B) Actions for which prior approval not required.—The
First Responder Network Authority may take any of the
following actions without prior approval by the NTIA:
“(i) Deploying emergency response capabilities and
resources to emergencies and disasters.
“(ii) Setting strategic priorities and conducting planning
activities with respect to the nationwide public safety
broadband network.
“(iii) Maintaining and updating the First Responder
Network Authority Strategic Plan and Roadmap or a similar
document with respect to the growth, evolution, and
advancement of the nationwide public safety broadband
network.
“(iv) Establishing performance expectations and investment
priorities with respect to the nationwide public safety
broadband network.
“(v) Developing and adopting the annual budget of the
First Responder Network Authority and outlining all network
reinvestment decisions and task orders with respect to the
nationwide public safety broadband network.
“(vi) Making written recommendations to the NTIA for
action upon network reinvestment decisions and task orders
with respect to the nationwide public safety broadband
network.
“(vii) Managing the device and application ecosystem with
respect to the nationwide public safety broadband network.
“(viii) Receiving reports from the Public Safety Advisory
Committee or other advisory committees established by the
First Responder Network Authority.
“(ix) Communicating with and conducting outreach to public
safety entities and public safety professionals.
“(x) Reporting to and briefing Congress, in accordance
with this subtitle.
“(xi) Such other actions as the NTIA may specify.
“(C) Rule of construction.—Nothing in this paragraph may
be construed to alter the requirement of subsection (c) of
section 6208 that fees may only be assessed under such
section if approved by the NTIA.”; and
(C) in subsection (h) (as so redesignated), by striking
“subsection (f)” and inserting “subsection (g)”; and
(3) in section 6208(d)—
(A) by striking “The First Responder Network Authority”
and inserting the following:
“(1) In general.—The First Responder Network Authority”;
and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(2) NTIA action on network reinvestment decisions and
task orders.—Not later than 60 days after the date on which
the NTIA receives a written recommendation from the First
Responder Network Authority for action upon a network
reinvestment decision or task order with respect to the
nationwide public safety broadband network, the NTIA shall
take action upon such network reinvestment decision or task
order.”.
(b) Conforming Amendment.—Section 6205(b)(2) of the Middle
Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C.
1425(b)(2)) is amended by striking “If” and inserting
“Subject to section 6206(d), if”.
(c) Applicability.—The amendments made by this section
shall apply with respect to—
(1) except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection,
actions taken by the First Responder Network Authority on or
after the date of the enactment of this Act; and
(2) in the case of paragraph (2) of section 6208(d) of the
Middle Class Tax Relief and Job
Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1428(d)), as added by this
section, written recommendations received by the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration on or after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. BOARD OF FIRST RESPONDER NETWORK AUTHORITY.
(a) Public Safety Professionals.—Section 6204(b)(2)(A) of
the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47
U.S.C. 1424(b)(2)(A)) is amended by amending clause (iv) to
read as follows:
“(iv) ensure that, on and after the date that is 3 years
after the date of the enactment of the First Responder
Network Authority Reauthorization Act of 2026, the Board
includes not fewer than 5 individuals serving as State,
local, or Tribal public safety professionals in the fields of
fire response services, emergency medical services, emergency
management services, law enforcement, or 9-1-1 services.”.
(b) Staggered Terms.—
(1) In general.—Section 6204(c)(2) of the Middle Class Tax
Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1424(c)(2)) is
amended—
(A) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking “3 years” and
inserting “not more than 3 years”; and
(B) by amending subparagraph (D) to read as follows:
“(D) Staggered terms.—In making appointments under
subsection (b)(1)(D), the Secretary of Commerce shall ensure
that the terms of office of individuals so appointed are
staggered, as the Secretary considers appropriate to reduce
the likelihood that the terms of office of more than 4 such
individuals will expire at the same time.”.
(2) Applicability.—The amendments made by this subsection
shall apply with respect to appointments made on or after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 5. ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR.
(a) In General.—Section 6204 of the Middle Class Tax
Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1424) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
“(h) Associate Administrator.—
“(1) In general.—The First Responder Network Authority
shall have an Associate Administrator, who shall be a career
appointee (as defined in section 3132(a) of title 5, United
States Code) in the Senior Executive Service and who shall be
appointed by the Assistant Secretary from among 3 individuals
nominated by the Board. The Assistant Secretary shall make
such appointment under the merit procedures applicable to
appointing such career appointees under subchapter II of
chapter 31 of such title 5.
“(2) Duties.—The Associate Administrator shall do the
following:
“(A) Subject to the direction of the Board and approval by
the Assistant Secretary under section 6206(d), manage the
staff and operations of the First Responder Network Authority
in order to ensure that the duties and responsibilities of
the First Responder Network Authority are carried out.
“(B) Serve as a liaison between the Board and the
Assistant Secretary, including with respect to ensuring
compliance by the First Responder Network Authority with
section 6206(d).
“(3) Annual performance reviews.—The NTIA, in
consultation with the Chair of the Board and any committee of
the Board relating to governance and risk, shall conduct an
annual performance review of the Associate Administrator.”.
(b) Continuation in Office.—The individual serving as the
Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the First
Responder Network Authority on the day before the date of the
enactment of this Act may serve as the Associate
Administrator under subsection (h) of section 6204 of the
Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47
U.S.C. 1424), as added by subsection (a), on and after such
date of enactment without the need for appointment under such
subsection (h).
SEC. 6. COMPONENTS OF NATIONWIDE PUBLIC SAFETY BROADBAND
NETWORK.
Section 6202(b) of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job
Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1422(b)) is amended, in the
matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “and initially
consists of” and inserting “and consists of such
technologies and services as necessary to enable secure,
interoperable, resilient, and prioritized broadband
communications for public safety entities, including”.
SEC. 7. FLEXIBILITY IN ESTABLISHING FEE AMOUNTS.
Section 6208(b) of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job
Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1428(b)) is amended—
(1) by inserting “(or other period specified by the First
Responder Network Authority)” after “for each fiscal
year”; and
(2) by striking “the fiscal year involved” and inserting
“such fiscal year (or other period)”.
SEC. 8. REPORTS TO CONGRESS ON FIRST RESPONDER NETWORK
AUTHORITY.
(a) Additional Matters to Be Included in First Responder
Network Authority Audit Report.—Section 6209(b)(2) of the
Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47
U.S.C. 1429(b)(2)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (B), by striking “; and” and
inserting a semicolon;
(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end
and inserting “; and”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(D) an evaluation of the performance of the FirstNet
contractor under the contract in building, operating, and
maintaining the nationwide public safety broadband
network.”.
(b) Annual Reports to Congress.—Subtitle B of title VI of
the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47
U.S.C. 1421 et seq.), as amended by the preceding provisions
of this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the
following:
“SEC. 6214. ANNUAL REPORTS ON FIRST RESPONDER NETWORK
AUTHORITY.
“(a) Report on Network Matters.—The NTIA shall submit to
Congress an annual report that includes information on
cyberattacks, cyber defense efforts, and unscheduled service
outages of all causes with respect to the nationwide public
safety broadband network. Each such annual report—
“(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may
contain a classified annex; and
“(2) at the request of the Board, shall include a
statement from the Board with respect to such information.
“(b) Report on Adoption Rates.—The NTIA shall submit to
Congress an annual report on adoption rates, by profession
and geographic area, with respect to the nationwide public
safety broadband network that, at the request of the Board,
shall include a statement from the Board with respect to such
adoption rates.”.
(c) Annual Briefing.—Subtitle B of title VI of the Middle
Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1421
et seq.), as amended by the preceding provisions of this Act,
is further amended by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 6215. ANNUAL BRIEFINGS ON FIRST RESPONDER NETWORK
AUTHORITY.
“Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of
this section, and annually thereafter, the NTIA shall provide
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate a briefing on activities with
respect to the First Responder Network Authority that, at the
request of the Board, shall include the participation of the
Chair of the Board (or a designee thereof).”.
SEC. 9. BUSINESS CONTINUITY AND DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN.
Subtitle B of title VI of the Middle Class Tax Relief and
Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1421 et seq.), as amended
by the preceding provisions of this Act, is further amended
by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 6216. BUSINESS CONTINUITY AND DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN.
“(a) In General.—Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this section, and every 5 years
thereafter, the FirstNet contractor shall submit to the NTIA
for approval, and to the Board for review, a business
continuity and disaster recovery plan to ensure rapid
restoration of the nationwide public safety broadband network
following an outage resulting from a natural disaster or
other emergency.
“(b) Timing of Approval or Request for Resubmission.—Not
later than 180 days after the date on which the NTIA receives
a plan submitted under this section, the NTIA, in
consultation with the Board, shall—
“(1) approve such plan; or
“(2) provide to the FirstNet contractor a written notice
of—
“(A) the reasoning for not approving such plan; and
“(B) the timeframe and process, as determined by the NTIA,
for resubmitting such plan for approval.”.
SEC. 10. OUTAGE NOTIFICATIONS.
Subtitle B of title VI of the Middle Class Tax Relief and
Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1421 et seq.), as amended
by the preceding provisions of this Act, is further amended
by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 6217. OUTAGE NOTIFICATIONS.
“In the case of any unscheduled service outage with
respect to the nationwide public safety broadband network—
“(1) as soon as practicable, but not later than 30
minutes, after the FirstNet contractor has confirmed such
outage, the FirstNet contractor shall notify the First
Responder Network Authority of such outage; and
“(2) the FirstNet contractor shall provide to the
departments and agencies that use such network a network
status tool that provides timely information on such
outage.”.
SEC. 11. SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS OF FIRSTNET CONTRACT.
Subtitle B of title VI of the Middle Class Tax Relief and
Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1421 et seq.), as amended
by the preceding provisions of this Act, is further amended
by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 6218. SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS OF FIRSTNET CONTRACT.
“Not later than 7 days after receiving a request, in
writing, from the Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee
on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, or
from the Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the
Assistant Secretary shall submit to such Committee any
contract between the First Responder Network Authority and
the FirstNet contractor with respect to building, operating,
or maintaining the nationwide public safety broadband
network.”.
SEC. 12. DEFINITIONS.
Section 6001 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job
Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1401) is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (15) through (33) as
paragraphs (16) through (34), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (14) the following:
“(15) Firstnet contractor.—The term `FirstNet contractor'
means the entity that, under contract with the First
Responder Network Authority, builds, operates, and maintains
the nationwide public safety broadband network.”.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.
General Leave
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Georgia?
There was no objection.
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, H.R. 7386, the First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act, led by Representative Dunn. The First Responder Network Authority, FirstNet, was born to solve the problems first responders faced during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
first responders so they would never again suffer the severe communication failures that undermined their ability to coordinate and respond to the attacks. Nearly 15 years later, FirstNet has become a vital tool for first responders nationwide, and it is time for Congress to reauthorize this program so they can continue to do their lifesaving work.
for first responders and makes improvements to ensure long-term success of the network, while increasing transparency and accountability within the program.
This legislation has strong bipartisan support. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in strong support of H.R. 7386, the First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act, and I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.
communicate with each other and coordinate their response to the terrorist attacks. There was no dedicated network for public safety communications.
the First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet. FirstNet has become a cornerstone of our Nation's public safety communications. It ensures that first responders, no matter where they serve, have access to a reliable, interoperable, and resilient broadband network that prioritizes public safety when it matters most.
Today, that mission is more critical than ever. As natural disasters, extreme weather events, and emergencies grow more frequent and more complex, our first responders need communication capabilities supported by infrastructure they can depend on without fail.
toward that goal. It reauthorizes FirstNet for 10 years, providing certainty for the public safety community for the foreseeable future. At the same time, it strengthens oversight, transparency, and the accountability of the FirstNet Authority, ensuring that this vital network remains responsive, effective, and worthy of the trust placed in it by first responders.
between the board and the FirstNet Authority, ensuring that public safety officials remain at the core of decisionmaking.
Importantly, it strikes the right balance: preserving speed and operational continuity while ensuring that governance keeps pace with the scale and importance of the network. Oversight and stability are not competing goals. They complement one another for the benefit of public safety.
Hudson, and my colleague Mr. Dunn of Florida for their leadership and partnership on advancing this bill.
the Committee on Energy and Commerce with input from stakeholders. Ultimately, this legislation is grounded in a shared commitment to support those who put their lives on the line every single day.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7386, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Dunn), my good friend.
Mr. DUNN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me the time.
Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to be here in support of this bipartisan, commonsense bill to reauthorize the First Responder Network Authority.
throughout this process, along with my colleague on the other side of the aisle, my friend Representative Jennifer McClellan of Virginia, for co-leading this legislation with me.
established by Congress with a clear objective in mind: to build a preemptive network for the first responders that they can rely on in any emergency.
communities deserve nothing less than a resilient and dependable communication system.
The authority governing FirstNet is set to expire in February 2027. Without proper action, we are putting the safety of our first responders and our communities at risk.
September 2037, giving FirstNet the long-term certainty it needs to continue investing in our Nation's safety.
these natural disasters can be. My district has endured literally dozens of hurricanes and tropical storms in the last 10 years, most notably Hurricane Michael in 2018.
the line, the question of whether or not first responders can communicate with one another should never be in doubt.
Michael Adkinson for his leadership in underscoring the imperative nature of FirstNet.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill.
Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost), my good friend.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today as chairman of the Fire Services Caucus and as a former firefighter myself to speak in support of the reauthorization of FirstNet.
days in American history. After September 11, we learned what happens when communications fail. Firefighters, police, and EMS could not talk to each other across agencies. That breakdown made an already dangerous situation even worse.
nationwide network just for public safety. The legislation keeps the network in place and makes it stronger. It extends FirstNet for another 10 years so departments aren't left guessing about whether the system will still be there. It increases public safety representation on the board of FirstNet from three to five members, which means more firefighters and first responders helping guide how the network is built and improved.
{time} 1610
Anyone who is in the fire service knows the tools change. Communications systems have to keep up, or they fall behind very quickly.
reports on cybersecurity, independent evaluations of the contractors, and requiring plans to restore service after disasters.
dedicated networks like this. You were dealing with radios that did not always connect across jurisdictions. You were relaying messages instead of getting them directly. A system like this would have cut through that and made the response more coordinated.
This is not complicated. Better communications lead to better coordination, and that saves lives.
This passed out of committee 51-0. This agreement shows how important it is. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this effort.
Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 7386, the First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act.
this bill strengthens the FirstNet Authority so that ultimately a network that could not have been imagined in 2001 now will be always available, dedicated, and interoperable for our first responders so that they know they can do their job and not worry about their communication system going down.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Virginia for her support of this important legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 7386, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.