Representatives Buddy Carter (R-GA01) and August Pfluger (R-TX11) recently celebrated the passage of the Mystic Alerts Act out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
As members of the committee, both representatives were able to speak on the bill’s behalf and thanked committee members for their bipartisan, unanimous support. Rep. Pfluger is the bill’s sponsor, but Rep. Carter was the bill’s strongest supporter, as his grandchildren almost succumbed to the Camp Mystic floods.
“Camp should be a place of joy, adventure, and lasting memories. But for these girls, the trauma they experienced will stay with them forever,” Rep. Carter explained. “Like Representative Pfluger, this issue is deeply personal to my family, and I look forward to our continued work to pass the Mystic Alerts Act so that no child or family has to endure a tragedy like this again.”
“When disaster strikes, communication infrastructure is often the first thing to fail, especially in rural areas. After the devastating floods of July 4th in Central and West Texas, we must ensure every American receives life-saving emergency alerts when it matters most,” said Rep. Pfluger.
HR 7022
Also known as House Resolution 7022, the bill will strengthen the emergency alerting framework by directing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish standards and requirements that allow alerts to be delivered via satellite connectivity, ensuring redundancy when traditional networks are down.
Upon enactment, commercial mobile service providers that already participate in the voluntary emergency alert system must file a specific election with the FCC regarding satellite transmissions.
To clarify, providers choosing to opt in or out of the emergency alert system must notify the FCC and their subscribers. If a subscriber has opted out of emergency alerts already, the provider must respect that decision.
HR 7022 mandates the FCC to establish this new technical infrastructure, and within six months of enactment, it must publish a notice of proposed rulemaking. Within twelve months, it must issue the final rules in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the FEMA Administrator.
