On October 22, 2026, the President signed the Mystic Alerts Act, directing the Federal Communications Commission to develop rules to facilitate the delivery of emergency alerts by satellite. Because disasters can damage or disable terrestrial networks when alerts are needed most, satellite delivery could provide an important additional path for reaching the public. The Act is named for Camp Mystic in Central Texas, where a 2025 flood killed 28 campers and staff and more than 100 others in the surrounding area. A congressional hearing found that satellite-based alerts might have helped save lives. APCO looks forward to action by the FCC, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and industry to implement the Act and strengthen the resilience of the nation’s emergency alerting systems.
