H.R. 5200: Emergency Reporting Act

This bill, titled the Emergency Reporting Act, aims to enhance disaster response related to communication services by directing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to improve reporting mechanisms and hold public hearings following disasters.

Key Provisions

Public Hearings

The FCC is required to hold public hearings at least once a year after the activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS). This system becomes operational during significant events that disrupt communications, and the FCC must review these events annually. The hearings will include representatives from:

• State and local governments, and Indian tribal governments
• Residents and consumer advocates from affected areas
• Providers of communications services
• Academics from institutions of higher education
• Other federal agencies
• Electric utility providers
• Communications infrastructure companies
• First responders and emergency managers

Reporting Requirements

After each public hearing, the FCC must issue a report within 120 days that includes:

• The number and duration of outages for various communication services, including broadband internet, VoIP, and mobile services
• The estimated number of users affected and the communications infrastructure impacted
• Outages that hinder emergency calls and the routing of these calls
• Recommendations to improve the resilience of communications networks

The reports will be based on information gathered from the hearings and other data collected by the FCC.

Investigation of Outage Reporting

The FCC must conduct an investigation within a year to assess:

• The value of visual information in outage notifications for public safety agencies
• The nature and volume of unreported 9-1-1 outages
• The benefits and challenges of providing additional information to emergency communications centers
• Any recommended changes to current rules based on these findings

Limitations on Authority

The bill specifies that nothing in this legislation grants the FCC or any other entity authority over broadband internet service providers beyond what is explicitly allowed.

Definitions and Framework

The bill includes definitions for key terms such as:

• Broadband internet access service
• Commercial mobile service
• Emergency communications center - facilities designated to receive 9-1-1 calls
• Outage

Relevant Companies

• VZ (Verizon Communications Inc.) - As a major telecommunications provider, Verizon would be directly impacted by new reporting requirements and potential changes to service protocols following disaster events.
• T (AT&T Inc.) - Similar to Verizon, AT&T will need to adapt its network and reporting practices in response to this bill's mandates regarding outage reporting and public hearings.
• S (Sprint Corporation) - Sprint, being part of the telecommunications industry, would be involved in any required reporting and cooperation with the FCC as outlined in the proposed legislation.