Sponsors (2)
The bill pushes to modernize and harmonize 9‑1‑1 capability and interoperability in National Parks—boosting emergency response and interagency coordination—while creating new costs, potential uneven coverage, and added administrative/coordination risks.
Visitors, park staff, and people in nearby rural communities will get faster, more reliable 9‑1‑1 service as NG9‑1‑1 gaps are identified and installations proceed in National Park emergency centers.
State and local emergency systems and park centers will gain better cross-jurisdiction interoperability, easing multi‑jurisdiction responses during emergencies.
Local and state emergency call centers get clearer, uniform definitions (e.g., 'emergency communications center' and 'interoperability'), improving eligibility for federal programs and making coordination and data sharing more consistent.
Local governments, some park units, and taxpayers may face meaningful new costs to upgrade equipment/software or to operate NG9‑1‑1, which could increase local or federal spending or require reallocations within Park Service budgets.
Governance and implementation risks — including narrow committee designation, assigning primary administrative responsibility to Interior/NPS for matters that cross jurisdictions, and added interagency consultation — could limit oversight, create agency mismatches, or delay timely deployment.
Some park units could remain without NG9‑1‑1 upgrades if superintendents deem existing systems 'sufficient,' producing uneven emergency capabilities and leaving certain visitors or remote communities at higher risk.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Directs the Interior Department to assess NG9‑1‑1 capability in park emergency communications centers, report costs and issues, and produce a plan to install NG9‑1‑1 where needed.
Requires the Department of the Interior (through the National Park Service) to assess emergency communications centers in national park units for Next Generation 9‑1‑1 (NG9‑1‑1) capability, report the findings to Congress and publish the report, and then create a plan to install NG9‑1‑1 where needed. The law sets firm deadlines: the assessment must be completed within one year of enactment and the installation plan must be developed within one year after the report is submitted. The Secretary must consult state and local emergency officials and several federal agencies; the plan can exclude centers where sufficient NG9‑1‑1 is already in place or underway.
Introduced January 13, 2026 by Russell Fulcher · Last progress January 13, 2026