On January 21, 2026 the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced the Emergency Reporting Act (H.R. 5200) and the Kari’s Law Report Act (H.R. 5201), bills that will help ensure access to 9-1-1 and improve situational awareness regarding network outages that can affect calls to 9-1-1. In addition, there has been momentum on additional public safety legislation. Notably, the Next Generation 9-1-1 Act (H.R. 6505) advanced out of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee during a January 15, 2026 markup. APCO commends the Committee’s leadership and urges swift consideration of the Emergency Reporting Act and Kari’s Law Reporting Act by the full House of Representatives, as well as prompt consideration of the Next Generation 9-1-1 Act by the full Energy and Commerce Committee.
