WHAT THE LAW DOINCongress, in plain words

H.R. 5200 · 119th Congress

Emergency Reporting Act

Passed HouseScience, Technology, Communications
IntroducedSep 8, 2025
Passed HouseApr 20, 2026
Passed SenateNot yet
To PresidentNot yet
Became lawNot yet

Where it stands

Passed House. Latest step, Apr 21, 2026: Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 375. The House passed it 386–7. All 4 of Iowa's representatives voted yes in the House. It would change 0 sections of existing law and would add 1 new provisions of its own.

How this bill changes the law

Sourced

H.R. 5200 doesn't change any existing section of law. It would create 1 new provision of its own. Read from the bill text as placed on the Senate calendar (Apr 21, 2026).

New provisions of the bill's own

  • Sec. 2 Reports after activation of Disaster Information Reporting System; improvements to network outage reporting
What the words would change: every change, in place (0)

Today's wording of each part of the law, with what would be struck out and added. Each change also gives the bill's own instruction, word for word.

    From the bill's official text on GovInfo and the U.S. Code, latest edition, which may not yet show changes made since.

    What it does

    Sourced

    Emergency Reporting Act

    This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to investigate and report on emergency communications outages (e.g., 9-1-1 outages).

    Specifically, 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, (2) the value and practicality of including visual information in outage notifications from communications providers, and (3) recommended changes to FCC rules to address these issues.

    Separately, the FCC must hold annual public hearings on events for which the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) was activated for at least a week. (DIRS is a reporting system that is activated during severe weather and other events impacting communications service. It enables communications providers to report outages and other degradations to service.) After each such hearing, the FCC must issue a report that includes information about the number, duration, and nature of all associated outages, along with recommendations for improving the resiliency of affected communications services or networks. Such reports must generally be made public on the FCC website.

    Official summary by the Congressional Research Service (Reported to House, Apr 9, 2026).

    Our plain-language breakdown, with what it means for you and the case for and against, is written once a bill starts to move.

    What has happened

    Sourced
    1. Apr 20, 2026Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 386 - 7 (Roll no. 126). (text: CR H2974-2975) Roll call recordLibrary of Congress
    2. Apr 9, 2026Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-597.Library of Congress
    3. Sep 8, 2025Introduced in HouseLibrary of Congress

    Show all 18 recorded actions

    Recorded votes

    Sourced
    1. Apr 20, 2026 · HousePassed 386–7
      Iowa: Randy Feenstra yes, Ashley Hinson yes, Mariannette Miller-Meeks yes, Zachary Nunn yes
      On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass · needed two-thirds
      R 187 yes, 7 noI 1 yes, 0 noD 198 yes, 0 noEach member · Record

    Cosponsors

    • Nanette Diaz Barragán D-CA-44
    • Gus M. Bilirakis R-FL-12