Representatives Kat Cammack (R-FL) and Norma Torres (D-CA), co-chairs of the Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus, sent a letter on July 2 urging House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring S.725, the Enhancing First Response Act, to the House floor for consideration under suspension of the rules.
S.725 passed the Senate unanimously on September 10, 2025. It would direct the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to reclassify public safety telecommunicators as “protective service” occupations in the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC), correcting their current miscategorization as “administrative/clerical” workers and recognizing the lifesaving nature of their work. The bill would also direct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to evaluate its outage-reporting requirements following major storms, and it would require the FCC to report on compliance with Kari’s Law, which requires multi-line telephone systems to provide access to 9-1-1 without dialing “9.”
Reclassification has long been a priority for APCO’s members because it would better reflect the lifesaving, skilled and demanding work performed every day in emergency communications centers.
