Contact Congress about H.R. 5200: Emergency Reporting Act

The FCC would have to publicly review major phone and internet outages after serious disasters. It would also study whether 9-1-1 outage notices should include maps or other visuals. The bill says it does not give the FCC broad new power over broadband providers.

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Emergency Reporting Act is a Senate bill waiting for floor action. The latest recorded action: Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 375.

Latest action on H.R. 5200: Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 375.

Who this affects: This bill mainly affects emergency call centers, people in disaster-hit areas, phone and internet companies, and the FCC. It matters most where storm damage or other major disasters knock out service and make it harder to reach 9-1-1. State, local, Tribal, and other public safety officials could also be pulled into the hearings and the follow-up reports.

Why this matters: When disasters hit, phone and internet failures can keep people from reaching 9-1-1 or getting help fast. This bill tries to make those failures easier to track in public and easier to learn from after the fact. It could also improve how emergency call centers learn about outages if the FCC later changes its rules. The full effect would depend on what the FCC finds and whether it later adopts new rules.

Key provisions in H.R. 5200

• The FCC would have to hold at least one public hearing each year on certain disaster events from the prior year. That applies when the FCC's Disaster Information Reporting System was turned on for seven days or more.
• The FCC would have to publish a public report within 120 days after each hearing. The report would sum up known outages involving broadband, internet phone service that connects to the regular phone network, mobile phone service, and mobile data service.
• Each report would have to estimate how many users were affected and how much communication equipment or infrastructure was hit. The FCC must base that estimate on information it already has.
• Each report would have to point out outages that stopped emergency call centers from getting caller location or caller number information. It also must list outages that kept those centers from receiving or routing emergency calls.
• The FCC would have to include any recommendations it has for making the affected services or networks stronger during future failures.

How Modern Action helps you take action on H.R. 5200

You do not have to start with a blank letter. Modern Action turns the bill, your position, and the relevant congressional context into a message you can edit and send. The goal is to make contacting Congress clear, specific, and useful without forcing you to parse bill text or figure out the right office on your own.

Questions people ask about H.R. 5200

What is H.R. 5200?

The FCC would have to publicly review major phone and internet outages after serious disasters. It would also study whether 9-1-1 outage notices should include maps or other visuals. The bill says it does not give the FCC broad new power over broadband providers.

How do I support or oppose H.R. 5200?

Choose support, oppose, or ask for changes on Modern Action. The action flow drafts the message for you and keeps the wording tied to this bill.

Who should I contact about H.R. 5200?

Modern Action uses your location to route the action to the congressional offices relevant to the bill and your representation.

Can Modern Action explain H.R. 5200 before I act?

Yes. Modern Action gives you a plain-English summary, current status, and action context before you send anything.