H.R. 7386 · Passed House · Emergency Management

First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act of 2026

What it does

Extends the First Responder Network Authority through fiscal year 2037 and changes how it is managed.
Removes the authority's independent status within NTIA and creates an NTIA associate administrator to manage its operations, with its actions subject to NTIA approval.
Requires at least five board members, up from three, who have served as public safety professionals.
Requires the network operator, currently AT&T, to notify the authority within 30 minutes of any outage and give users a network status tool.
Requires the operator to submit a business continuity and disaster recovery plan to NTIA every five years, with annual audits evaluating its performance.

Official summary

First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act of 2026 This bill extends through FY2037 and modifies the management of the First Responder Network (FirstNet) Authority. (The FirstNet Authority oversees the development and operation of FirstNet, a nationwide, interoperable broadband network for first responders.) The bill also requires certain actions of the entity operating FirstNet. Currently, the FirstNet Authority is an independent agency within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The bill removes the FirstNet Authority’s independent status and establishes an associate administrator in the NTIA to manage the FirstNet Authority’s operations. The FirstNet Authority’s actions must be subject to NTIA approval, with exceptions established by the NTIA. The FirstNet Authority’s Board must include at least five (currently, three) individuals who have served as public safety professionals. The entity contracted to develop and operate FirstNet (currently AT&T) must notify the FirstNet Authority within 30 minutes of any network outage and provide users with a network status tool to monitor outages. Every five years, such entity must submit to the…

Latest action

Apr 21, 2026: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Committee: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation