Sponsors (3)
The bill provides federal funding, standards, and cybersecurity support to modernize 9-1-1 communications and improve emergency response, but requires local cost-sharing and imposes administrative conditions that may strain small, rural, and tribal jurisdictions and slow deployment.
State and local emergency communications centers (including many rural jurisdictions) will receive federal grants and technical assistance to deploy, maintain, and interoperate NG9-1-1 systems, improving emergency response capabilities and cross-jurisdiction coordination.
Emergency communications centers and related health systems will be eligible for funding and technical support for cybersecurity measures, reducing the risk of service disruption and protecting public-safety communications.
Federal establishment of a NG9-1-1 Cybersecurity Center and advisory board creates centralized technical guidance and stakeholder input to improve program oversight and help align best practices across jurisdictions.
State and local governments (particularly small or rural jurisdictions) will likely need to provide matching funds or identify sustainable funding within three years, creating significant local budget pressure and potential barriers to adoption.
Strict limits on allowable administrative and training costs plus requirements to return funds for noncompliance could strain the administrative capacity of small or tribal applicants and make participation harder for resource-constrained communities.
Grant conditions and certification or eligibility requirements could delay some applicants' access to funds, slowing NG9-1-1 deployment for places that need upgrades most.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Creates an NTIA-led coordination and grant-management program to support state and local implementation of Next Generation 9-1-1, with reporting and published plans.
Introduced March 11, 2026 by Amy Klobuchar · Last progress March 11, 2026
Creates a federal coordination role and management structures to help states and localities move to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1). It directs the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information at NTIA to run a grant program: coordinate with state points of contact, collect and share best practices and technology information, review and approve grant applications, provide technical assistance to grantees, oversee use of funds, and produce annual reports and a public management plan with funding profiles.