S. 725 · Passed Senate · Science, Technology, Communications

Enhancing First Response Act

What it does

Requires the FCC to report on Disaster Information Reporting System activations that last at least seven days, including the number, duration, and nature of outages.
Requires at least one public field hearing in the affected area and a final report with recommendations for improving network resiliency and recovery.
Requires a separate FCC report on 9-1-1 outages not covered by current reporting rules and on the value of visual information in outage notices.
Directs the Office of Management and Budget to classify public safety telecommunicators as a protective service occupation within 30 days of enactment.
Directs the FCC Inspector General to report on the implementation of Kari's Law.

Official summary

Enhancing First Response Act This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to report on certain activations of the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS). DIRS is a reporting system that is activated during severe weather and other events impacting communications service and enables communications providers to report outages and other degradations to service. If the system was activated for at least seven days, the FCC must issue a preliminary report that includes information about the number, duration, and nature of all associated outages. The FCC must also hold at least one public field hearing in the area affected by the event, and it must issue a final report that includes recommendations for improving the resiliency of affected networks or recovery efforts. Separately, the FCC must publish a general report on (1) the volume and nature of 9-1-1 outages that are not required to be reported under current outage notification rules, and (2) the value to public safety agencies of the inclusion of visual information in outage notifications from communications providers. The bill also requires the Office of Management and Budget, by 30 days after the bill's…

Latest action

Sep 11, 2025: Held at the desk.

Committee: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation