This bill reauthorizes the First Responder Network Authority, ensuring it continues to support emergency communication networks for first responders. It also increases oversight and requires more public safety experts in leadership roles.
First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act of 2026This bill extends through FY2037 and modifies the management of the First Responder Network (First Net) Authority. (The First Net Authority oversees the development and operation of First Net, a nationwide, interoperable broadband network for first responders.) The bill also requires certain actions of the entity operating First Net. Currently, the First Net Authority is an independent agency within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The bill removes the First Net Authority’s independent status and establishes an associate administrator in the NTIA to manage the First Net Authority’s operations. The First Net Authority’s actions must be subject to NTIA approval, with exceptions established by the NTIA. The First Net 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 First Net (currently AT&T) must notify the First Net 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 NTIA for approval a business continuity and disaster recovery plan to ensure rapid restoration of the network following disaster-caused outages. Annual audits of the First Net Authority must include an evaluation of such entity’s performance. The NTIA must brief Congress annually regarding First Net and provide annual reports relating to cybersecurity and network adoption rates. Within seven years after the bill’s enactment, the Government Accountability Office must report on what action Congress should take regarding the termination of the First Net Authority in 2037.