House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Reauthorize and Improve FirstNet Public Safety Communications Network

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House unanimously passed Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) and Congressman Neal Dunn (FL-02)’s H.R. 7386, the First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act. The bill extends through 2037 legal authority for FirstNet, a wireless communications network used by public safety agencies and first responders to coordinate during emergencies. The bill also improves transparency and oversight and removes barriers to rapid response.

Following the tragic terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, FirstNet enables the public safety community and first responders to communicate in times of crisis and emergency. As extreme weather events and severe storms increase in frequency as a result of the climate crisis, FirstNet must continually adapt to changes while remaining resilient for the public safety agencies that rely on them to save lives. Without Congressional action, the legal authority of the First Responder Network Authority (FNA) expires in February 2027. This bipartisan bill not only extends that authority, but strengthens it for years to come.

“Today’s passage of the First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act represents a victory for public safety communications, emergency first responders and all those that might come to rely on their services,” said Congresswoman McClellan. “I thank Congressman Dunn for his joint leadership and my colleagues for their support to reauthorize FirstNet’s authority and provide support to the American people in situations of life and death. I urge the Senate to pass this bill as soon as possible to reaffirm the reliability and resilience of the emergency communications network in times of disaster and recovery.”

“FirstNet is not just a network — it is the backbone of public safety communications in this country. Floridians know that in hurricanes and times of crisis, reliable communication for first responders can mean the difference between life and death. I thank my colleagues for their support of this critical bipartisan legislation, especially Congresswoman McClellan for her partnership on this clear mandate to reauthorize FirstNet,” said Congressman Dunn.

Specifically, the First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act would:

• Extend the FNA’s statutory authorization through September 2037;
• Remove the FNA’s “independent” entity status and provide the NTIA with clear authority to manage and oversee FirstNet’s management, operations, and investment decisions;
• Preserve the FirstNet Board’s leadership over operational and strategic decisions, including network reinvestment activities and task orders;
• Increase public safety’s representation on the FirstNet Board from three to five members (out of 15 total) and preserves the role of the Public Safety Advisory Committee;
• Provide the NTIA with authority to stagger FirstNet Board terms to ensure that vacancies are evenly distributed over time and not simultaneously;
• Establish the position of NTIA Associate Administrator to oversee the FNA;
• Expand the scope of allowable network reinvestments to keep up with wireless innovation;
• Require detailed reporting on the performance of the FirstNet contractor (currently AT&T), including annual reports on cybersecurity and service adoption rates;
• Require the FirstNet contractor to submit its Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan to the NTIA for approval;
• Require the FirstNet contractor to notify the FNA of a network outage within 30 minutes of discovery, and require the FirstNet contractor to maintain a network status tool, accessible to subscriber agencies, with up-to-date information on network outages; and
• Require the FNA to submit the FNA-AT&T contract to Congress at the written request of the House or Senate commerce committees.

Following House passage, the Senate must now consider its own version of the bill for passage. You can watch Rep. McClellan’s remarks on the House floor in support of H.R. 7386 here. Read the bill text here.