Sponsors (2)
The bill pushes to modernize 9‑1‑1 services on National Park lands—improving emergency response and cross‑jurisdiction interoperability through assessments and federal coordination—but will likely require substantial taxpayer and local investment and creates implementation, timing, and oversight risks that could delay or complicate results.
Visitors, park staff, and residents in and near National Park units will get faster, more reliable 9‑1‑1 routing and richer emergency data where NG9‑1‑1 is deployed, improving emergency response and outcomes.
Federal agencies and state/local partners will have clearer technical alignment and interoperability pathways—by referencing NG9‑1‑1 standards and coordinating across agencies (DOC, DOT, FCC)—making multijurisdictional emergency response more feasible.
Congress will receive concrete cost estimates and identified implementation barriers within roughly a year, giving lawmakers actionable information to target funding or legislative fixes.
Taxpayers and federal/local budgets may face substantial costs to implement, operate, and maintain NG9‑1‑1 across park units identified by the plan.
Small and rural 9‑1‑1 centers could incur significant equipment, software, matching, and integration costs to meet interoperability requirements (including non‑proprietary interface expectations).
The required assessment and the one‑year planning deadline could expose complex jurisdictional/legal barriers or rush planning, causing delays or leaving some parks stuck on legacy 9‑1‑1 systems longer than hoped.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Requires Interior to assess NG9-1-1 readiness at park emergency communications centers, report costs and issues to Congress, and develop a plan to install NG9-1-1 systems.
Official title: To direct the Secretary of the Interior to upgrade existing emergency communications centers in units of the National Park System to Next Generation 9-1-1 systems, and for other purposes.
Introduced January 13, 2026 by Russell Fulcher · Last progress January 13, 2026
Requires the Secretary of the Interior (via the National Park Service) to assess emergency 9-1-1 communications centers in National Park units for Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) capability, report findings and costs to Congress within one year, and then produce a plan to install NG9-1-1 systems at identified centers within one year after the report. The bill defines key terms (including NG9-1-1, interoperability, emergency communications center) and requires consultation with state, local, and federal stakeholders when developing the deployment plan.