    [House Hearing, 119 Congress]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                LEGISLATIVE IMPROVEMENTS TO PUBLIC SAFETY
                COMMUNICATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES
    =======================================================================

                                    HEARING

                                   BEFORE THE

                           SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS AND
                                     TECHNOLOGY

                                     OF THE

                        COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE
                            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                        ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                                   __________

                               DECEMBER 16, 2025

                                   __________

                               Serial No. 119-47

    [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

         Published for the use of the Committee on Energy and Commerce

                       govinfo.gov/committee/house-energy
                            energycommerce.house.gov

                                    __________

                       U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
    62-666 PDF                  WASHINGTON : 2026
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                        COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE

                            BRETT GUTHRIE, Kentucky
                                     Chairman
    ROBERT E. LATTA, Ohio                FRANK PALLONE, Jr., New Jersey
    H. MORGAN GRIFFITH, Virginia           Ranking Member
    GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida            DIANA DeGETTE, Colorado
    RICHARD HUDSON, North Carolina       JAN SCHAKOWSKY, Illinois
    EARL L. ``BUDDY'' CARTER, Georgia    DORIS O. MATSUI, California
    GARY J. PALMER, Alabama              KATHY CASTOR, Florida
    NEAL P. DUNN, Florida, Vice          PAUL TONKO, New York
        Chairman                         YVETTE D. CLARKE, New York
    DAN CRENSHAW, Texas                  RAUL RUIZ, California
    JOHN JOYCE, Pennsylvania             SCOTT H. PETERS, California
    RANDY K. WEBER, Sr., Texas           DEBBIE DINGELL, Michigan
    RICK W. ALLEN, Georgia               MARC A. VEASEY, Texas
    TROY BALDERSON, Ohio                 ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois
    RUSS FULCHER, Idaho                  NANETTE DIAZ BARRAGAN, California
    AUGUST PFLUGER, Texas                DARREN SOTO, Florida
    DIANA HARSHBARGER, Tennessee         KIM SCHRIER, Washington
    MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS, Iowa       LORI TRAHAN, Massachusetts
    KAT CAMMACK, Florida                 LIZZIE FLETCHER, Texas
    JAY OBERNOLTE, California            ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, New York
    JOHN JAMES, Michigan                 JAKE AUCHINCLOSS, Massachusetts
    CLIFF BENTZ, Oregon                  TROY A. CARTER, Louisiana
    ERIN HOUCHIN, Indiana                ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey
    RUSSELL FRY, South Carolina          KEVIN MULLIN, California
    LAUREL M. LEE, Florida               GREG LANDSMAN, Ohio
    NICHOLAS A. LANGWORTHY, New York     JENNIFER L. McCLELLAN, Virginia
    THOMAS H. KEAN, Jr., New Jersey
    MICHAEL A. RULLI, Ohio
    GABE EVANS, Colorado
    CRAIG A. GOLDMAN, Texas
    JULIE FEDORCHAK, North Dakota
                                     ------

                               Professional Staff

                         MEGAN JACKSON, Staff Director
                    SOPHIE KHANAHMADI, Deputy Staff Director
                   TIFFANY GUARASCIO, Minority Staff Director
                 Subcommittee on Communications and Technology

                         RICHARD HUDSON, North Carolina
                                     Chairman
    RICK W. ALLEN, Georgia, Vice         DORIS O. MATSUI, California
        Chairman                           Ranking Member
    ROBERT E. LATTA, Ohio                DARREN SOTO, Florida
    H. MORGAN GRIFFITH, Virginia         YVETTE D. CLARKE, New York
    GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida            RAUL RUIZ, California
    EARL L. ``BUDDY'' CARTER, Georgia    SCOTT H. PETERS, California
    NEAL P. DUNN, Florida                DEBBIE DINGELL, Michigan
    RUSS FULCHER, Idaho                  ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois
    AUGUST PFLUGER, Texas                NANETTE DIAZ BARRAGAN, California
    KAT CAMMACK, Florida                 TROY A. CARTER, Louisiana
    JAY OBERNOLTE, California            ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey
    ERIN HOUCHIN, Indiana                GREG LANDSMAN, Ohio
    RUSSELL FRY, South Carolina          JENNIFER L. McCLELLAN, Virginia
    THOMAS H. KEAN, Jr., New Jersey      KATHY CASTOR, Florida
    CRAIG A. GOLDMAN, Texas              FRANK PALLONE, Jr., New Jersey (ex
    JULIE FEDORCHAK, North Dakota            officio)
    BRETT GUTHRIE, Kentucky (ex
        officio)
                                 C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page
    Hon. Richard Hudson, a Representative in Congress from the State
      of North Carolina, opening statement...........................     2
        Prepared statement...........................................     3
    Hon. Doris O. Matsui, a Representative in Congress from the State
      of California, opening statement...............................     7
        Prepared statement...........................................     9
    Hon. Brett Guthrie, a Representative in Congress from the
      Commonwealth of Kentucky, opening statement....................    11
        Prepared statement...........................................    12
    Hon. Frank Pallone, Jr., a Representative in Congress from the
      State of New Jersey, opening statement.........................    14
        Prepared statement...........................................    16
    Hon. Troy A. Carter, a Representative in Congress from the State
      of Louisiana, prepared statement...............................    19

                                   Witnesses

    Jack Varnado, President, APCO International, and 9-1-1 Director,
      Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office.............................    20
        Prepared statement...........................................    23
        Answers to submitted questions...............................   126
    Jennifer A. Manner, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and
      International Strategy, AST SpaceMobile........................    30
        Prepared statement...........................................    32
        Additional information submitted for the record..............    74
    Matthew Gerst, Partner, Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP, on behalf
      of CTIA........................................................    38
        Prepared statement...........................................    40
        Answers to submitted questions...............................   135
    Jeannette Sutton, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of
      Emergency Management and Homeland Security, College of
      Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity,
      University at Albany, State University of New York.............    48
        Prepared statement...........................................    50

                                Legislation \1\

    H.R. ___, the Mystic Alert Act
    H.R. 1094, the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act
    H.R. 1519, the Public Safety Communications Act
    H.R. 2076, Lulu's Law
    H.R. 5200, the Emergency Reporting Act
    H.R. 5201, the Kari's Law Reporting Act
    H.R. 6505, the Next Generation 9-1-1 Act

                               Submitted Material

    Inclusion of the following was approved by unanimous consent.
    List of documents submitted for the record.......................    89
    Letter of November 13, 2025, from the International Association
      of Fire Chiefs, et al., to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary,
      Federal Communications Commission..............................    90

    ----------

    \1\ The bills have been retained in committee files and are available
    at https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/
    ByEvent.aspx?EventID=118762.
    Statements, ``Public Radio Provides Lifesaving Public Safety
      Services''.....................................................    92
    Letter of December 16, 2025, from Patrick Yoes, National
      President, Fraternal Order of Police, to Mr. Guthrie and Mr.
      Pallone........................................................    97
    Letter of December 16, 2025, from Odette J. Wilkens, Chair and
      General Counsel, The National Call for Safe Technology, to Mr.
      Guthrie, et al.6099............................................

    LEGISLATIVE IMPROVEMENTS TO PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS IN THE UNITED
                                     STATES

                                  ----------

                           TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2025

                      House of Representatives,
         Subcommittee on Communications and Technology,
                              Committee on Energy and Commerce,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:15 a.m., in
    the John D. Dingell Room 2123, Rayburn House Office Building,
    Hon. Richard Hudson (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
        Members present: Representatives Hudson, Allen, Latta,
    Griffith, Carter of Georgia, Dunn, Pfluger, Cammack, Obernolte,
    Houchin, Kean, Goldman, Fedorchak, Guthrie (ex officio), Matsui
    (subcommittee ranking member), Soto, Clarke, Ruiz, Peters,
    Dingell, Barragan, Carter of Louisiana, Menendez, Landsman,
    McClellan, Castor, and Pallone (ex officio).
        Also present: Representatives Joyce and Palmer.
        Staff present: Jessica Donlon, General Counsel; Michael
    Essington, Chief Counsel, Communications and Technology; Sydney
    Greene, Director of Finance and Logistics; Megan Jackson, Staff
    Director; Noah Jackson, Clerk, Communications and Technology;
    AT Johnson, Special Advisor; Brayden Lacefield, Special
    Assistant; John Lin, Senior Counsel, Communications and
    Technology; Joel Miller, Chief Counsel; Elaina Murphy,
    Professional Staff Member, Communications and Technology; Dylan
    Rogers, Professional Staff Member, Communications and
    Technology; Chris Sarley, Member Services/Stakeholder Director;
    Timothy Trimble, Staff Assistant; Jane Vickers, Press
    Assistant; Hannah Anton, Minority Policy Analyst; Keegan
    Cardman, Minority Staff Assistant; Parul Desai, Minority Chief
    Counsel, Communications and Technology; Waverly Gordon,
    Minority Deputy Staff Director and General Counsel; Tiffany
    Guarascio, Minority Staff Director; Dan Miller, Minority
    Professional Staff Member; Shae Reinberg, Minority Intern;
    Michael Scurato, Minority FCC Detailee; Johanna Thomas,
    Minority Counsel; and Hannah Treger, Minority Staff Assistant.
        Mr. Hudson. The subcommittee will come to order. The Chair
    recognizes himself for an opening statement.

     OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. RICHARD HUDSON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
               CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

        Good morning. Welcome to today's legislative hearing on
    public safety communications in the United States. I am glad we
    were able to convene this hearing in a bipartisan manner, and
    we have several bipartisan bills in front of us today. I am
    looking forward to hearing from our witnesses about how these
    bills will improve communications for public safety and give
    first responders additional tools to do their jobs so they can
    best serve our communities and come home safe. This hearing
    will be the next step in advancing the important legislation
    before us.
        In September we held a hearing examining the broad state of
    public safety communications. Now we are looking at legislative
    improvements to that space. Important things like upgrading our
    9-1-1 call centers, improvements to our wireless emergency
    alerting, and improvements to our outage reporting are crucial
    improvements that we now can look at through a legislative
    lens.
        Alongside my friend, Representative Carter from Louisiana,
    I recently introduced the Next Generation 9-1-1 Act. This
    legislation would establish a grant program at the National
    Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, for
    next generation 9-1-1 technology. It would also establish a
    nationwide next generation 9-1-1 cybersecurity center and a
    next generation 9-1-1 advisory board. Upgrading our Nation's
    call centers to NG 9-1-1 technology is crucial for public
    safety. This internet-protocol-based system will open the door
    for advanced tools for both the public and our first responders
    to use.
        Further, this legislation will enable deployment
    nationwide. A patchwork of call centers that still have aging,
    outdated legacy systems risks a communication landscape that is
    uneven and noninteroperable. I have long been a supporter of NG
    9-1-1 deployment nationwide, and I am proud to lead this
    legislation along with my friend from Louisiana.
        We have a few bills before us that look to improve our
    Wireless Emergency Alerts, or WEAs. Wireless alerts to mobile
    phones can be powerful tools to quickly and directly
    disseminate warnings of dangerous weather, threats to public
    safety, national emergencies, and even missing children.
    However, these alerts can only be received if a phone is in
    range of traditional cell service. As we see mobile carriers
    moving towards innovative technologies like satellite-direct-
    to-device connections, it is worth exploring how this
    technology can be used as another tool for public safety
    communications when outside of terrestrial cell service
    networks.
        Our public safety and law enforcement officers put their
    lives on the line every day to help us in our times of need,
    and we must make sure that they have the best tools at their
    disposal to do their jobs. Today we will hear from our
    witnesses about the legislative improvements to public safety
    communications before us and how these bills can make our
    country a safer place. I look forward to hearing from the
    witnesses today about these issues and how Congress can stand
    ready as a partner.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Hudson follows:]
        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Hudson. I now recognize the ranking member, the
    gentlelady from California, for her opening statement.

    OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. DORIS O. MATSUI, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
                 CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

        Ms. Matsui. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I am really
    glad that we are having this hearing today to consider
    bipartisan solutions to strengthen our public safety
    communications.
        Emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time. And in their
    moments, every second counts. When a parent is trying to get
    help for their child, when an older adult has fallen, or when a
    wildfire is moving fast, Americans should never have to wonder
    whether 9-1-1 will connect. In the tragic Camp Fire in northern
    California near my district in 2018, the deadliest wildfire in
    the State's history, our emergency communication systems faced
    significant challenges. More than half of initial calls to 9-1-
    1 never got through, and emergency alert system warnings
    weren't consistently sent out.
        Since the Camp Fire, communities in my district like Elk
    Grove have made real progress modernizing emergency
    communications, moving to cloud-based systems that connect 9-1-
    1 dispatch with real-time information. Elk Grove is leading the
    Nation by integrating drone first response operations into its
    real-time information center to strengthen situational
    awareness, community trust, and offers for safety.
        But local leadership can only go so far without strong
    Federal follow-through, and it is frustrating that earlier this
    year House Republicans walked away from a bipartisan bill to
    fund next generation 9-1-1 through spectrum auction proceeds
    instead of steering those dollars to corporate tax breaks and
    leaving first responders in limbo. Our communities shouldn't
    have to face that uncertainty in a crisis, and our first
    responders shouldn't be left without the information they need
    to fight the fire and save lives.
        We know that we still have work to do to improve our
    emergency communications system. That is why I am proud to work
    with my colleague, Congressman Bilirakis, on two bipartisan
    bills to improve the accessibility and reliability of these
    networks: the Emergency Reporting Act and Kari's Law Reporting
    Act. These bills make straightforward improvements to our
    existing emergency systems, ensuring the protections we already
    have in place are actually working.
        The Emergency Reporting Act is about learning from failures
    quickly, transparently, and with accountability so the next
    disaster doesn't become a repeat of the last. If people can't
    reach 9-1-1 during a major event, we should know why and we
    should have a clear way to fix it before the next crisis
    exists.
        The Kari's Reporting Act makes sure that basic protections
    Congress already enacted are working in the real world by
    checking whether companies are actually complying with the
    original law. Kari's Law was born out of a heartbreaking
    tragedy, when a child tried again and again to call 9-1-1 and
    couldn't because the system required dialing 9 before any call.
    That should never happen in America. Our job is to make sure
    ``Call 9-1-1'' means exactly that--no extra steps, no
    confusion, no barriers.
        Today I am looking forward to hearing from our witnesses
    about what is working, where the gaps remain, and what Congress
    should do next to strengthen resiliency, improve coordination,
    and make sure 9-1-1 is easily reachable when it matters the
    most.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. Matsui follows:]
       [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Matsui. With that I yield back the balance of my time.
        Mr. Hudson. Thank you.
        I now recognize the chairman of the full committee, the
    gentleman from Kentucky, for 5 minutes for his opening
    statement.

     OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BRETT GUTHRIE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
               CONGRESS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY

        Mr. Guthrie. Thank you, Chairman Hudson. Thank you for
    bringing us together for this important hearing. And thank you
    to our witnesses for being with us today. We thank you for
    participating.
        And today we are considering several critical pieces of
    legislation to improve public safety communications in the
    United States. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses
    about how these bills will improve public safety and help our
    Nation's first responders better serve those in crisis.
        In September this committee held a hearing to examine the
    broad state of public safety communications in the United
    States. We heard directly from first responders, emergency
    management officials, and public safety industry leaders about
    the technologies they utilize, their effectiveness, and where
    improvements are needed. The message was clear: Reliability is
    nonnegotiable. Regardless of the technology or service
    provider, first responders need certainty that their equipment
    will perform in the heat of a crisis.
        As I have mentioned before, my home State of Kentucky has
    faced significant flooding and tornadoes this year. Similarly
    to my--what my district experienced just a few years ago, I
    have seen firsthand how reliable access to communications
    infrastructure is critical for our first responders and
    communities during emergencies.
        Before we--before us we have several bipartisan legislative
    solutions to strengthen our public policy--public safety and
    ensure our first responders have the tools they need to do
    their jobs. These bills will make important improvements to
    next gen 9-1-1 technology deployment, wireless emergency
    alerting, outage reporting, and more.
        Thank you again to our witnesses for your participation. I
    look forward to hearing from you today.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Guthrie follows:]
        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Guthrie. And Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
        Mr. Hudson. Thank you.
        I now recognize the gentleman from New Jersey, the ranking
    member, for 5 minutes for his opening statement.

    OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. FRANK PALLONE, Jr., A REPRESENTATIVE
                IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY

        Mr. Pallone. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased the
    subcommittee is holding this hearing today to discuss
    legislation to make emergency communications more accessible
    and reliable for all Americans.
        For years I have consistently advocated for passing and
    fully funding the Next Generation 9-1-1 Act. There are
    thousands of emergency communications centers across the
    Nation, and too many of them still rely on legacy
    communications infrastructure that was first installed about 60
    years ago.
        While I am glad to see this subcommittee consider the bill
    here today, I must reiterate my disappointment with
    Republicans' decision to use spectrum auction proceeds to pay
    for tax breaks for billionaires in their Big, Ugly Bill,
    instead of investing in modern public safety communications
    infrastructure. These funds are hard to come by, and the task
    of funding this effort is now that much more difficult as a
    result.
        Every one of our Nation's 9-1-1 centers should have the
    best technology we have at our disposal. By equipping them with
    modern infrastructure and state-of-the-art equipment, we can
    help 9-1-1 telecommunications assess the nature and location of
    an emergency more quickly with better information. This
    information, in turn, helps police, fire, and emergency medical
    services respond to a situation more safely and effectively.
        And equally as important, the benefits of next generation
    9-1-1 to first responders is the increased access it grants to
    the public to reach emergency assistance. These upgrades allow
    Americans to communicate with 9-1-1 the same way we communicate
    regularly with our friends and family beyond traditional phone
    calls. Now the public is able to send pictures and video to 9-
    1-1 and, with some applications, create a live video feed from
    their location which dispatchers can use to inform their work
    and first responders can use to scout the scene before they
    arrive.
        While I am glad that some jurisdictions have begun to
    prioritize these investments already, I look forward to
    continuing our work to fully fund the nationwide deployment of
    next generation 9-1-1 so that all communities have modern
    equipment in place to better protect the people they serve.
        And as we look at modernizing this equipment, we have to
    also make our communication networks more resilient so that our
    constituents always have access to emergency information and
    services when it matters most. When Superstorm Sandy hit my
    district in 2012, my constituents were left without
    communications capabilities in some places for weeks. A lot has
    changed for the better since Sandy, but there is more work to
    do to ensure our communications networks are constructed with
    resiliency and redundancy in mind so that no one is left in the
    dark during a major disaster.
        So finally, we have work to do in this committee to address
    the impending sunset of the First Responder Network Authority,
    or FirstNet, which is set to expire a little over a year from
    now. It is important that we reauthorize FirstNet, and I look
    forward to working together in a bipartisan manner to ensure
    first responders do not lose access to this important service,
    as well.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Pallone follows:]
        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Pallone. So with that I would like to yield the
    remainder of my time to the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr.
    Carter.
        Mr. Carter of Louisiana. Thank you, Ranking Member Pallone,
    and thank you to all the witnesses for being here. I am very
    honored to advance this bill, along with Chairman Hudson, to
    make sure that state-of-the-art resources are, in fact,
    available.
        As a Mmber representative of Louisiana, I want to extend a
    special welcome to Captain Jack Varnado, someone that is no
    stranger to me. We worked well together when--during my days as
    a State senator in Louisiana.
        Jack serves as president of the Association of Public
    Safety Communications Officers, APCO, International, and as the
    9-1-1 director of Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office in my home
    State of Louisiana.
        Captain Varnado, I want to thank you. Thank you for sharing
    your expertise as we discuss the importance of public safety
    communications and the legislation needed to make necessary
    improvements to this critical infrastructure. In Louisiana we
    know all too well how devastating natural disasters like
    hurricanes and flooding can be to our communities. That is why
    having reliable public safety communications and resilient
    infrastructure is essential to protecting lives and ensuring
    effective emergency responses.
        Our communities must be prepared and well equipped to
    respond when disasters or emergencies strike. That is why I am
    proud to introduce the Next Generation 9-1-1 Act with Chairman
    Hudson, which will modernize our 9-1-1 system infrastructure,
    save lives by reducing response time, and equip first
    responders with the best digital tools available. I look
    forward to working with my colleagues to advance this Next
    Generation 9-1-1 Act and discussing the importance of
    modernizing our outdated emergency systems during this hearing,
    and to continue to demonstrate to the rest of the world, to
    America, to Louisiana, to Washington, DC. that we can work
    together.
        This is a bipartisan effort demonstrating that when Members
    come together and put aside our differences, we can advance
    causes that save lives. This is a perfect example of that.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Carter of Louisiana
    follows:]
    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Carter of Louisiana. Mr. Chairman, I yield.
        Mr. Hudson. I thank the gentleman. His time has expired.
        We have now concluded with Member opening statements. The
    Chair reminds Members that, pursuant to the committee rules,
    all Members' opening statements will be made part of the
    record.
        We would like to thank our witnesses for being here today
    to testify before the subcommittee. Our witnesses will have 5
    minutes to provide opening statements, which will be followed
    by a round of questions from members.
        The witnesses here before us today are Captain Jack
    Varnado, the president of APCO International and 9-1-1 director
    of Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office; Ms. Jennifer Manner,
    senior vice president of regulatory affairs and international
    strategy at AST SpaceMobile; Mr. Matthew Gerst, partner at
    Wilkinson Barker Knauer; and Dr. Jeannette Sutton, associate
    professor of the College of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland
    Security and Cybersecurity at the University of Albany.
        Thank you all for being here.
        Captain Varnado, you are recognized for 5 minutes for your
    opening statement.

         STATEMENT OF JACK VARNADO, CAPTAIN, PRESIDENT OF APCO
    INTERNATIONAL AND 9-1-1 DIRECTOR OF LIVINGSTON PARISH SHERIFF'S
    OFFICE; JENNIFER A. MANNER, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF REGULATORY
     AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY, AST SPACEMOBILE; MATTHEW
      GERST, PARTNER, WILKINSON BARKER KNAUER, LLP; AND JEANNETTE
    SUTTON, Ph.D., ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THE COLLEGE OF EMERGENCY
     PREPAREDNESS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND CYBERSECURITY, UNIVERSITY
                               AT ALBANY

                       STATEMENT OF JACK VARNADO

        Mr. Varnado. Good morning, Chairman Hudson, Ranking Member
    Matsui, and distinguished members of the subcommittee. My name
    is Captain Jack Varnado, and I have worked in emergency
    communications for over 30 years. I am the president of APCO
    International. I am also the 9-1-1 director, as you have heard,
    of the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana, where I
    am the--I am leading the transition to next generation 9-1-1. I
    am honored to represent Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office and
    APCO international.
        APCO is the world's oldest and largest organization of
    public safety communications professionals, with over 45,000
    members. Our members are on the front lines of every type of
    emergency and handle the full spectrum of public safety
    telecommunications. I welcome the opportunity to share with you
    their expertise.
        To start I want to talk about 9-1-1, because 9-1-1 is the
    most critical of our Nation's critical infrastructure. This is
    largely due to our public safety telecommunicators. On any
    given day these telecommunications professionals might guide
    callers through CPR or childbirth, or coach callers on how to
    stay safe during an active shooter event while ensuring help is
    on the way. Their work is indispensable to every emergency
    response, and that is why we are committed to their
    reclassification as a protective service occupation in OMB
    standard occupational classification. We deeply appreciate
    efforts to address this issue, including the 9-1-1 Saves Act.
        Our public safety telecommunicators deserve the best
    resources. But the reality is that, for many, today's 9-1-1
    calls are answered using yesterday's 9-1-1 technology. Modern
    cell phones can pinpoint locations and instantly transmit
    videos to friends and family, and yet they can't share this
    information with many 9-1-1 centers. With your support we can
    bring 9-1-1 into the 21st century.
        NG 9-1-1 isn't just an upgrade, it is a reimagining of how
    emergency services operate. NG 9-1-1 envisions a fully
    integrated ecosystem. 9-1-1 professionals, law enforcement,
    fire services, and emergency medical services can access and
    share critical data in realtime, enhancing coordination,
    reducing response times, and improving public safety outcomes.
        Federal legislation is essential to establishing NG 9-1-1
    nationwide. This includes establishing a baseline definition of
    what NG 9-1-1 means. It is a comprehensive, end-to-end
    transformation of emergency communications.
        Interoperability is a core component of NG 9-1-1.
    Interoperability is straightforward: the ability to exchange
    all forms of 9-1-1 traffic, regardless of jurisdiction,
    vendors, and equipment used. With NG 9-1-1, agencies can
    support one another during periods of high call volume, natural
    disasters, or system outages.
        NG 9-1-1 also requires robust cybersecurity standards,
    which are essential for protecting both 9-1-1 infrastructure
    and the sensitive data that it handles.
        NG 9-1-1 also requires funding. A Federal grant program
    will help all emergency communication centers, regardless of
    their size or location.
        We are grateful to Representatives Hudson and Carter for
    introducing the Next Generation 9-1-1 Act, which will make a
    real difference in saving lives.
        In all cases we must be able to count on public safety
    communications to work. I am from Louisiana, as Representative
    Carter said, and we have endured some of our Nation's most
    devastating natural disasters, including hurricanes.
    Unfortunately, I know from experience that the same emergencies
    that result in widespread calls to 9-1-1 are the same
    emergencies that knock out communications.
        We must consider alternatives to ensure public safety
    communications are resilient, leveraging new technologies and
    services like satellite connectivity. They can help. Satellite
    service often remains operational during disasters or
    immediately following, and providing a layer of resiliency for
    9-1-1 satellite service can also support wireless emergency
    alerts. And we can't forget our analog technologies too. Our
    amateur radio broadcasters have been longstanding public safety
    partners.
        We recognize that, despite best efforts and intentions,
    there will be network outages. And when they occur, we need
    actionable information about their nature, scope, and duration
    to mitigate the impact. Clear visual representations of the
    outage would be a significant improvement over the text-based
    notifications that we receive today.
        We thank Congresswoman Matsui and Congressman Bilirakis for
    introducing legislation on these matters. We appreciate their
    leadership in introducing legislation to ensure that the
    critical protections Congress enacted under Kari's Law are
    fully implemented. When people call for help from buildings or
    organizations, like during an emergency on a college campus,
    they should be able to reach 9-1-1 directly without needing to
    dial a prefix.
        In closing, APCO remains committed to working together with
    each of you to advance public safety communications. I
    appreciate the opportunity to testify today, and I welcome your
    questions.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Varnado follows:]
       [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Hudson. Thank you.
        Ms. Manner, you are recognized for 5 minutes for an opening
    statement.

                    STATEMENT OF JENNIFER A. MANNER

        Ms. Manner. Chairman Hudson, Ranking Member Matsui,
    Chairman Guthrie, and Ranking Member Pallone, thank you for the
    opportunity to speak about improving public safety
    communications.
        Such improvements, coupled with American----
        Mr. Hudson. I am sorry, you might need to pull the mic a
    little closer.
        Ms. Manner. Sorry. I am from New York, so I am quiet.
        [Laughter.]
        Ms. Manner. Such improvements, coupled with American
    innovations such as the space-based mobile broadband
    connectivity my company is providing, will improve the daily
    lives of all Americans, including during emergencies.
        My name is Jennifer Manner, and I am the senior vice
    president of regulatory affairs and international strategy at
    AST SpaceMobile, a Texas-based company. We are proud to be the
    first and only provider of space-based mobile broadband
    services directly to unmodified mobile user devices like our
    smartphones. Our system is the only purpose-built system for
    direct-to-device services to provide a superior mobile
    broadband experience: voice, video, streaming apps, even when
    the terrestrial network is not available. We plan to have 45 to
    60 satellites in space by year end of 2026, which will enable
    continuous coverage of the United States.
        Because of our space-based wide area coverage, our network
    will have a vast impact on Americans' day-to-day lives and in
    times of emergencies. Our mission is to eliminate connectivity
    dead zones in the United States and worldwide and expand
    broadband access globally to the billions of people that are
    currently left unconnected. The AST SpaceMobile network will
    not only provide service where the terrestrial network does not
    exist but also supplement the wireless networks of our U.S.
    partners AT&T, Verizon, and FirstNet, where coverage is
    inadequate to ensure an always best-connected experience.
        In addition to advances in industry, thoughtful
    governmental policy is needed to ensure reliable emergency
    communications. AST SpaceMobile is pleased to be supportive of
    several pieces of legislation that are being considered today.
    We support the goals proposed by the Emergency Reporting Act.
    However, I am hopeful that as our services become available
    across the United States, network outages will become a thing
    of the past, as mobile phones automatically switch over to
    space-based mobile broadband connectivity when the terrestrial
    network is not available.
        As a Texas-based company, we take need of the--need for
    improved emergency services very seriously. The recent flooding
    in Texas is a tragic reminder of how critical it is to have
    constant access to communications. Because of AST SpaceMobile's
    coverage and capabilities, we are well positioned to partner
    with first responders and governmental stakeholders to advance
    public safety for Americans across the country. Therefore, we
    fully support the intent and purpose of the Mystic Alerting Act
    to provide consumers with information to ensure their
    satellite-based connectivity to their mobile device is always
    on. We never want to see a day again in Texas or anywhere in
    America like we did on July 4, 2025.
        We are pleased to see Congress considering the Next
    Generation 9-1-1 Act to provide the public safety community
    with the resources it needs to make the NG 9-1-1 a reality. But
    we don't want action to end there. We are working with our
    partners, AT&T and Verizon, to ensure that they can meet their
    public safety requirements to subscribers of our space-based
    services. We are working together to integrate our technologies
    as our network is deployed to enable these critical emergency
    services. This will take time and funding, but we are
    committed.
        Finally, I want to address the important role of our
    network for first responders, including FirstNet. I was deputy
    chief of the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau
    when FirstNet was created by Congress. During that time we knew
    access to mobile broadband satellite connectivity was
    necessary, but there wasn't a direct-to-device solution.
    Therefore, we planned for regional supplies of transportable
    satellite broadband equipment to be available--an important
    step, but it wasn't ideal as it required preplanning.
        Now, because of U.S. innovation, AST SpaceMobile, working
    with FirstNet and the public safety community, will ensure
    every first responder has broadband capability in their mobile
    device. Therefore, we look forward to the passage of the Public
    Safety Communications Act and working closer in collaboration
    with NTIA and other U.S. Government agencies to ensure public
    safety has access to space-based mobile broadband connectivity.
        It is my honor to be included in today's hearing and to
    collaborate on how we can work together to make a truly
    generational impact on public safety communications for all
    Americans. I look forward to answering any questions you may
    have.
        Thank you.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. Manner follows:]
       [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Hudson. Thank you.
        Mr. Gerst, you are recognized for 5 minutes for your
    opening statement.

                       STATEMENT OF MATTHEW GERST

        Mr. Gerst. Chairman Hudson, Ranking Member Matsui, Chairman
    Guthrie, Ranking Member Pallone, and members of the
    subcommittee, on behalf of CTIA and the U.S. wireless industry,
    thank you for holding this important hearing. Your longstanding
    bipartisan leadership continues to strengthen our Nation's
    emergency communications, alerting, and resiliency
    capabilities.
        As outside counsel on public safety matters to CTIA and a
    former vice president for the association, we know that
    Americans rely on wireless in the moments that matter most.
    When we are calling or texting 9-1-1 or 9-8-8 for help in a
    moment of crisis, or when our phones are buzzing with warnings
    to help save us from a disaster, wireless services and devices
    are the first and sometimes the only connection between
    Americans and the emergency response heroes that keep us safe
    every day.
        The U.S. wireless industry is committed to building and
    delivering the most robust wireless networks in the world. Last
    year, wireless providers invested nearly $30 billion to expand
    capacity and coverage, strengthen infrastructure, and deploy
    innovative technologies that can maintain wireless service
    under extraordinary and challenging conditions. For example, we
    have deployed nearly 450,000 cell sites that provide
    overlapping coverage to maintain connectivity even when some
    cell sites go out of service during a disaster.
        Since I last appeared before this committee in 2020, we
    have also followed through on our commitment to build new
    relationships with electric power companies that enhance our
    ability to maintain wireless service and speed restoration
    efforts during disasters. These investments continue to deliver
    results. It is typical for the vast majority of cell sites to
    remain operational during a disaster. Of course, those efforts
    do not diminish the real challenges faced in the hardest-hit
    areas of a disaster, like those faced by those in the path of
    Hurricane Helene.
        We agree with Ranking Member Matsui and Representative
    Bilirakis that tasking the FCC with developing a comprehensive
    view of disaster responses in the Emergency Reporting Act can
    help us better prepare and respond for the next event. Our
    investments in resiliency ensure that wireless is there for
    every American who needs to reach 9-1-1 or receive wireless
    emergency alerts. In fact, wireless is the primary on-ramp to
    9-1-1 for U.S. consumers, with four out of every five 9-1-1
    call originating on a wireless device.
        Wireless providers have spent much of the last decade
    investing and deploying the most innovative solutions to ensure
    that emergency responders have actionable information that they
    need to help. Today, more than 80 percent of all wireless 9-1-1
    calls to 9-1-1 can produce a location estimate that is within
    one city block and within a few floors in multistory buildings.
    This information improves response times and situational
    awareness for first responders.
        The transition to a modern, interoperable, and resilient
    next generation 9-1-1 system, it is the next step. After more
    than a decade of planning, technology development, and testing,
    the transition to NG 9-1-1 is well underway. Under a new
    framework adopted by the FCC, wireless providers are actively
    partnering with 9-1-1 authorities to deliver wireless 9-1-1
    traffic in the NG 9-1-1 formats that they request. Chairman
    Hudson and Representative Carter's Next Generation 9-1-1 Act,
    as well as Representative Cammack's Public Safety
    Communications Act, these bills demonstrate the leadership this
    committee can bring to ensure that the Federal Government can
    help to expedite the nationwide adoption of 9-1-1.
        Wireless Emergency Alerts, or WEAs, are another public
    safety solution produced by this committee's leadership. These
    short emergency alerts, delivered in realtime to your wireless
    device, are now among the most powerful tools in our Nation's
    alert system. And since they launched in 2012, alert
    originators--that is the Federal, State, local government
    officials authorized by FEMA to send these messages--they have
    issued more than 96,000 wireless emergency alerts. Whether
    these alerts are telling us to take shelter from severe
    weather, evacuate from a fast-moving wildfire, or help to
    locate a missing child, wireless emergency alerts save lives.
        Alert originators. They decide whether to send a WEA, where
    it goes, and what it says. For our part, the wireless industry
    delivers WEAs with geographic precision, and we enable
    flexibility for the alert originators to convey the relevant
    and timely information that meets the needs of their
    communities. Representative Pfluger and the Mystic Alert Act
    and Representative Palmer's Lulu's Law, these recognize the
    importance of alert originators effectively using WEAs to keep
    Americans safe from a wide array of emergency events,
    particularly in rural and remote areas.
        In closing, wireless is central to our Nation's emergency
    communications ecosystem. The work that the U.S. wireless
    industry undertakes to invest in network resiliency, enhance
    the capabilities of 9-1-1, and support timely and effective use
    of WEA reflects our shared commitment with this committee and
    public safety officials across the U.S. to ensure that all
    Americans can access our Nation's emergency resources when help
    is most urgently needed.
        Thank you again for the opportunity to appear today. I look
    forward to your questions.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Gerst follows:]
        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Hudson. Thank you.
        Dr. Sutton, you are recognized for 5 minutes for an opening
    statement.

                  STATEMENT OF JEANNETTE SUTTON, Ph.D.

        Dr. Sutton. Good morning, and thank you, Chairman Hudson,
    Chairman Guthrie, Ranking Member Pallone, and Ranking Member
    Matsui, for having me here today.
        My name is Jeannette Sutton. I have a Ph.D. in sociology,
    and I am an associate professor in the College of Emergency
    Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity at the
    University at Albany. I have spent my entire academic career
    focused on effective warning messages. I have been funded by
    the National Science Foundation, NOAA, USGS, and, most
    recently, FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System,
    IPAWS.
        My comments today focus on three things: first, what makes
    an alert and warning message effective; second, why evidence-
    based practices are not followed; and third, the impacts of
    poor messaging.
        I would like to begin by saying merely deploying a message
    does not guarantee that it will be effective. With more than 70
    years of social and behavioral science research, we know how to
    motivate people in emergencies, and it centers on the message.
        Every warning, regardless of hazard type, should include
    five primary elements: the source, who the message is from; the
    hazard and its impacts; the location affected by the threat;
    the time of the threat; and guidance and instructions on how to
    protect oneself. A review of the first decade of wireless
    emergency alerts from 2012 to 2022 found that only 8.5 percent
    of messages issued by local jurisdictions included all 5 of
    these elements.
        Warnings should also use plain language descriptions of
    hazards and the actions people should take to protect
    themselves. One study on public understanding of the use of the
    technical language ``evacuation warning'' and ``evacuation
    order'' found that a significant portion of respondents were
    unable to determine the relevant associated actions: to prepare
    to evacuate, or to evacuate now.
        There has also been a dramatic increase in the use of
    jargon for missing and endangered persons. Across the country,
    different State legislatures have created more than 40
    additional types of named alerts. Examples of State-specific
    alerts include the Athena Alert, Levi's Call, and the Purple
    Alert. Our research has found that named alerts are unfamiliar
    and result in confusion. Furthermore, IPAWS does not restrict
    organizations from sending any type of message through the WEA
    system.
        Why are evidence-based messages and practices not followed?
    I have suggested three reasons.
        First, there are deficient requirements. The IPAWS program
    within FEMA is the only resource that provides the
    technological capability for jurisdictions to broadcast
    wireless emergency alerts. However, there are no requirements
    for an organization to have an internal policy or procedures on
    how to use the system to show a minimal capability of effective
    messages or to establish a training plan. Alert origination
    software companies do not provide prompts for effective
    messaging as a routine service to their customers, nor has
    IPAWS made this a requirement.
        Second, there is an absence of national standards. The
    Federal Communications Commission creates rules for
    broadcasters and cellular companies. It does not create rules
    that directly apply to the alerting authorities. Technological
    changes have been made to improve the messages delivered, but
    no requirements are directed to alerting authorities as they
    make use of new capabilities.
        Third, there are insufficient training opportunities. There
    are general training opportunities for alerts and warnings
    provided by FEMA IPAWS, the National Disaster Emergency
    Management University, and Hawaii Center for Disaster
    Preparedness. However, none focus on effective message design.
    In 2022, with funding from FEMA IPAWS, my team at the
    University of Albany developed the Message Design Dashboard and
    trained more than 500 emergency managers across the U.S. We
    found this led to a significant improvement in their knowledge,
    skills, and abilities. That training concluded in May of 2025,
    and I continue to provide independent training and consultation
    through my small business called the Warn Room.
        There are clear consequences of poor messaging. It results
    in concerns about over-alerting, warning fatigue, and its
    impacts on WEA use. One national study conducted in 2023 found
    that WEA opt-out rates are correlated with States that issue
    AMBER alerts and messages that are sent statewide. The State
    with the highest opt-out rates is Texas.
        In conclusion, I have three recommendations. We need
    additional funding for research to support the design of
    effective warning systems, including messages. We need national
    standards for evidence-based messaging to be adopted and
    implemented into training programs. And we can require third-
    party emergency notifications to include message prompts within
    their software to ensure complete and actionable messages.
        Thank you again for inviting me to speak, and I welcome
    your questions.
        [The prepared statement of Dr. Sutton follows:]
       [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Hudson. Thank you.
        We will now begin questioning, and I recognize myself for 5
    minutes.
        As I mentioned in my opening statement, next gen 9-1-1
    technology is a top priority for me. I am very proud of my home
    State of North Carolina and the way we have deployed 9-1-1
    statewide. Captain Varnado, I understand you are--you said you
    were overseeing the transition that--your parish to NG 9-1-1
    technology, and you have talked in your testimony about why it
    is so important. I want to give you a little more time to talk
    about why it is so important that all call centers across the
    country upgrade to this technology, and maybe how are call
    centers that are running on this legacy technology at a
    disadvantage?
        Mr. Varnado. Thank you so much, Chairman Hudson.
        The issue that we are having in the industry is that we
    are--there is a--we are building a system of haves and have
    nots, and we can't do that because 9-1-1 is--needs to be for
    every single person: local, Tribal, State, and Federal.
        Mr. Hudson. So what is the--talk a little bit more about
    sort of the--how the experience works with the new technology
    versus the legacy technology, and why that is such a
    disadvantage for folks that aren't upgraded.
        Mr. Varnado. There are several disadvantages there. Number
    one, we can't share data in an interoperable manner. The 9-1-1
    calls now are rich with data, including voice, video, text, all
    of that. In the legacy system there is no opportunity for that.
    Location data is very, very limited in the legacy systems,
    where in the next gen 9-1-1 system we can utilize many
    different sources of location to compare and accurately find
    those individuals.
        Mr. Hudson. That is great. And so, obviously, when someone
    is in trouble, the ability to locate them with real-time
    location data, the ability for them to share video technology,
    that sort of thing, it speeds up the time for emergency
    responders to get to them, enables them to find that person
    faster.
        Mr. Varnado. That location is key. That is the very first
    piece of information we need. And by getting that location, we
    can serve that person, that caller better, whatever the
    situation is. It may be someone lost in the woods, it may be
    somebody having a heart attack or, God forbid, an active
    shooter. We can find the location. That is key in these
    instances.
        All of the data is great, but that location data is key.
    And in next generation 9-1-1 we can leverage that so much
    different.
        Mr. Hudson. Absolutely. So after so many States and
    localities have deployed this technology, what factors need to
    be considered when determining the amount of funds appropriate
    for this program?
        You know, a lot of folks like in my State have already
    upgraded. Your parish is in the process of upgrading. The last
    cost estimates we had are pretty outdated.
        I mean, what do you think the appropriate amount of funds
    is for this program? Do you have an updated number in mind?
        Mr. Varnado. I don't have an updated number, to be honest
    with you. I think that we are still looking at that number. We
    have been talking about 15 billion. But we need to--and forgive
    me, I don't--I speak pretty plain, OK? We are--we don't need to
    kick the can down the road anymore. We need to start this
    process. We need to get this going in a much more organized
    manner, because what we are doing is we are leaving the
    smaller, more rural, less funded centers behind, and those
    people are the ones that need to be brought into this.
        Larger jurisdictions, well-funded jurisdictions, they have
    some of the resources to begin this. But in many cases it is
    the smaller ones that don't have those resources. They don't
    have the personnel and the ability to have the technical
    expertise that is needed in this. We need to start moving on
    this.
        Mr. Hudson. I agree with you. And, you know, but the
    challenge for us, as policy makers, is we have finite resources
    and we want to make sure we are deploying them efficiently. And
    if APCO can help us in this, we are trying to figure out what
    is the cost so that we can meet that need. You know, it may be
    less than 15 because a lot of other folks have upgraded. It
    might be more than 15 because the technology is more expensive
    than it was a few years ago. You know, so as much as APCO can
    help us drill down and figure out what exactly that need is,
    the better we can define it, I think, the more successful we
    will be in garnering those resources.
        Mr. Varnado. We will be glad to work with you on that----
        Mr. Hudson. I appreciate that.
        Mr. Varnado [continuing]. Chairman, thank you.
        Mr. Hudson. I am about out of time. So if I run over, then
    I can't call down my colleagues if they run over.
        [Laughter.]
        Mr. Hudson. So with that I will recognize the ranking
    member on the committee, the gentlelady from California, Ms.
    Matsui, for 5 minutes for her questions.
        Ms. Matsui. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
        Our Nation's 9-1-1 infrastructure has remained largely
    unchanged since its inception in 1968. More than ever, we need
    to expand access to lifesaving technologies such as next gen 9-
    1-1 for faster and more accurate emergency responses.
        Mr. Gerst, a majority of calls to 9-1-1 originate on
    wireless phones, and most wireless phones today include
    substantially more capabilities than traditional landlines.
        How can the capabilities of today's smartphones be
    leveraged to enhance calls to 9-1-1?
        Mr. Gerst. Thank you, Member. Thank you so much for the
    question. You are absolutely right about how critical NG 9-1-1
    is for our emergency communications ecosystem and for
    consumers, because 9-1-1 is the most important call you are
    probably going to make at any point in your lifetime. And we
    know that 80 percent of calls to 9-1-1 originate on wireless.
    So for that reason we have been investing for well over the
    last decade in new solutions that can better locate people and
    bring the advances the way that consumers expect to be using
    wireless services.
        They call, they text, they use it--they send pictures,
    right? They want to be able to get that information to 9-1-1,
    and that is what NG 9-1-1 can help us with.
        With respect to location, about 10 years ago we were asked
    the question, Hey, why can Uber locate me but 9-1-1 can't,
    right? And that is because we had built purposely 9-1-1
    location proprietary solutions to meet certain regulatory
    obligations. And we were missing the commercial solutions that
    everybody was using. We are actually able to leverage those
    solutions. And today 80 percent of all calls to 9-1-1 are using
    the same type of mapping technologies that we use in our
    phones.
        We are locating people within a one-city block and within a
    few floors of their--if they are in a high-rise building. This
    is information that is improving response times for public
    safety, situational awareness for them, making them safer when
    they are responding to help.
        Ms. Matsui. OK. Thank you very much.
        The Kari's Law Reporting Act directs the FCC to report on
    companies on compliance with Kari's Law. Congress passed Kari's
    Law in 2018 to ensure the public can directly access 9-1-1 for
    multiline telephone systems such as those used in schools,
    hotels, and offices. Unfortunately, according to market
    research, nearly 40 percent of organizations who should be
    compliant with this law are not.
        Kari's Law was enacted after tragic circumstances led to a
    young child being unable to reach 9-1-1 from a hotel phone.
    This legislation would ensure that the critical protections
    Congress enacted are working as intended, and that no American
    is ever prevented from reaching 9-1-1 in their time of need.
        Captain Varnado, what are the risks today if manufacturers
    or vendors fail to comply?
        And how would this new reporting requirement for the FCC
    help ensure that the public can reliably reach emergency
    services?
        Mr. Varnado. Well, I think your first question--and thank
    you for the question--I think your first question is the most
    poignant, is people will lose lives----
        Ms. Matsui. Yes.
        Mr. Varnado [continuing]. If we do not force these carriers
    and vendors to actually comply with the law. We hear reports
    regularly that people delayed by not knowing that they needed
    to dial a specific digit to get out of a specific phone line to
    call 9-1-1.
        Ms. Matsui. Right. The report also asks for recommendations
    to Congress on whether additional legislation is needed.
        In your view, what gaps or enforcement challenges might
    require additional congressional action?
        Mr. Varnado. To be honest, I don't know. I would have to
    get back with you on that.
        Ms. Matsui. Oh, certainly. That is fine.
        You know, the Emergency Reporting Act aims to improve the
    information 9-1-1 centers receive during a service outage,
    which can affect the public's ability to reach 9-1-1.
        Captain Varnado, what types of information do 9-1-1 centers
    currently receive during an outage?
        And how can we improve this information to improve the
    response to service disruptions?
        Mr. Varnado. First of all, we get very generic data that
    could encompass many States, and it doesn't apply to the
    jurisdiction that is being affected, or it is very broad data.
        A representation of--a visual representation of a map that
    shows us the specific location of the outage, then we can
    target notifications to those areas that there is a
    communications challenge in that area. Those are the challenges
    that we have on the ground.
        Ms. Matsui. Right, absolutely. And we are talking about
    better technology and enhancing this, so that is great.
        I am going to--I can't ask a question in a short time, so I
    will yield back, Mr. Chairman, thank you.
        Mr. Hudson. Thank you. I now recognize the chairman of the
    full committee, Mr. Guthrie, for 5 minutes for your questions.
        Mr. Guthrie. Thank you, Chairman Hudson. I appreciate the
    recognition and thank our witnesses for being here again.
        In this committee we spent a lot of time this past year
    discussing artificial intelligence and how much artificial
    intelligence is emerging, and how it touches everywhere, and
    particularly all of our jurisdictions. We famously say in
    Energy and Commerce, ``If it moves it is energy. If it is not
    moving it is commerce.'' We have jurisdiction over about
    everything, and the one consistent across all of them is
    artificial intelligence.
        So to start with, Captain Varnado, are you currently or do
    you plan to use AI in your 9-1-1 call center?
        And if so, how does it benefit public safety, and if not,
    how do you think you could use it?
        Mr. Varnado. Currently--thank you for the question and
    thank you for being here.
        First of all, we are not currently using AI in our ECC, but
    we are planning to. And one of the most important ways is
    translation of foreign languages. That is a big topic for us in
    our area, to be able to translate quickly. It takes us 2 to 4
    minutes to get a translator on a phone during a 9-1-1 call, and
    that is just not acceptable. So we are looking for that to be
    an advantage for us.
        Mr. Guthrie. OK, thank you.
        And then, Mr. Gerst, as I mentioned in my opening
    statement, Kentucky has had floods and tornadoes. In 2021,
    actually, in my neighborhood my neighbors right behind me lost
    their homes. We were blessed, but they were--it was right
    behind them. And it comes with--I can tell you it came with
    little warnings like we saw it coming and from--well, you did
    see it coming for a while, but before you knew it was going to
    come your area, it is just a few minutes, and sometimes they
    just develop, particularly if you are west of where I was.
        And so my question is, How do wireless emergency alerts
    help officials deliver lifesaving information more quickly than
    traditional communications channels?
        Mr. Gerst. Mr. Chairman, thank you so much for the
    question. And you know, as you just mentioned, when you get a
    wireless emergency alert, you know it, right? Your phone is
    going to light up, somebody else's phone who you are with, they
    are lighting up too, and they are conveying in there,
    hopefully, critical information that you need to be able to
    react very--in a timely fashion.
        We--this committee helped us usher in this service that we
    are now broadcasting these messages to any device that can
    receive them. It doesn't matter what service you are on, you
    can receive these WEA messages if alert originators send them
    out with the information that they need.
        And over the years we have invested in new capabilities
    that they have wanted. They wanted better geotargeting. They
    wanted the ability to embed links so that you can go to a
    website to get more information. And actually, next year we are
    going to be introducing new location-aware mapping
    technologies. So when you get that alert, it is going to pop up
    and show you a map of where the alert is targeted at so you
    know how relevant it really is for you and how much action you
    need to take.
        So these alerts are critical. We know that when they are
    sent, they save lives.
        Mr. Guthrie. And it is the geography. You know, Kentucky
    has small counties, but sometimes my county will get a tornado
    warning. And if you see it on television you can see where it
    is going. South of Bowling Green, where--I live in the town
    of--called Bowling Green, or city. If it goes north, and even
    though our whole county is on alert, you can know where it is
    going if you are alerted to the specific geo level.
        So Dr. Sutton, I know your work focuses on what should be
    included in the content of wireless emergency alert messages. I
    think Mr. Gerst kind of pointed to you when he was making his
    comment on the alert messages.
        So what components of an alert message makes it effective?
        Dr. Sutton. A wireless emergency alert should include five
    components: It should say who the message is from, the source;
    information about the hazard itself, what the hazard is and
    what it is doing; the location of the threat and where it is
    occurring; the time that the threat is occurring at; and most
    importantly, what people should do to protect themselves. We
    frequently find that there are contents missing from these
    messages, and hope to see some significant improvement in that.
        Mr. Guthrie. OK, thank you. And that--it is good that you
    do your research and work because it is helpful. When I first
    got on this committee, one of these hearings on this similar
    topic, we had a 9-1-1 hearing and a child had been in a home--
    in a--her mother, the child's mother--I think it was a boy--his
    mother had escaped an abusive--I don't know if it was a husband
    or a male, and he found her in a hotel, was--came in and was
    abusive, and the kid dialed 9-1-1, and they knew it was in the
    hotel but they had no idea which room. And so they show up to--
    I guess it was a motel, but they--by the time they got to the
    actual room it was too late.
        So the more we can target and we can nail it down, the
    better. I think then we added something where, even if there is
    an extension, you have to kind of identify where the extension
    is coming from.
        So, unfortunately, tragic incidences sometimes, that is
    where we learn lessons that we can hopefully apply to help
    other people in their lives.
        So thank you for your testimony today. This is important,
    and I will yield back.
        Mr. Hudson. Thank you.
        I now recognize the ranking member of the full committee,
    Mr. Pallone, for 5 minutes for your questions.
        Mr. Pallone. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Next generation 9-1-1 capabilities allow public safety
    telecommunicators, first responders, and the public to share
    and exchange important data such as GPS location and patient
    health information in the course of responding to an emergency.
    And the use cases for these kinds of capabilities would seem to
    be endless.
        I have four questions, two of Captain Varnado and two of
    Dr. Sutton. So if you could, quickly respond.
        So Captain Varnado, can you describe some real-world
    examples of what is possible in an end-to-end, next generation
    9-1-1 environment? How might these capabilities help a
    firefighter or an emergency room doctor in the course of an
    emergency response?
        One minute to respond.
        Mr. Varnado. Thank you, sir. I will tell you this. I was on
    a motor vehicle accident a couple of years ago, and a emergency
    room physician--we were in the process of cutting this victim
    out of the car. During the process an emergency room physician
    from the local trauma center in New Orleans showed up on his
    way to work. He took pictures of that and were sending it via
    text message to his counterpart, working to know what the
    patient was going to be coming in with, and so forth. I sat
    there and I looked at that and I said, ``That is next
    generation 9-1-1.''
        That is what the 9-1-1 should be doing here. We can take
    that picture, put it into the system, send it through to the
    firefighters, the medics, the emergency room physicians, the
    trauma surgeons.
        That is just one small case, but those are the types of
    data, but it is able to be interoperable and shared across
    jurisdictions.
        Mr. Pallone. That is important. I know you made me think of
    ``NCIS New Orleans,'' which I watch in repeats almost every
    night.
        But let me ask you a second question: Do you think we need
    another cost study for next generation 9-1-1?
        Mr. Varnado. No, sir. I think we are ready to move forward.
    Even if we take small steps, we can move forward.
        Mr. Pallone. All right. Well, thank you.
        Now, when disaster strikes the ability to disseminate
    information and communicate clearly with the impacted community
    can be a matter of life and death, as you just, you know,
    suggested. So let me ask Dr. Sutton two questions.
        First, your testimony highlights the five key elements of
    an effective alert message: who sent the alert, the hazard and
    its impacts, location, time, and instructions on how to stay
    safe. And these sound simple and reasonable, yet your testimony
    also notes that only about 8.5 percent of all wireless
    emergency alert messages sent from 2012 to 2022 included all 5
    elements.
        So, Dr. Sutton, what information is the most often missing
    from alert messages, and how do we--how do incomplete messages
    hinder efforts to maintain public trust in a crisis
    environment, if you would?
        Dr. Sutton. Thank you for the question. We know that the
    most often--most frequently missing content from a wireless
    emergency alert is the time and the source of the message.
        But I think that is--what is very important here is to
    notice that the contents that people most need is the guidance
    and the name of the hazard itself. Without those two things,
    people do not know why they should be taking action and the
    specific actions they should be taking to protect themselves.
        Mr. Pallone. OK. And then the last question. I believe that
    access to emergency alerts is critical for all Americans. But I
    do worry that access means nothing if our alert infrastructure
    is used frivolously for events that are not relevant to the
    recipient.
        So, Dr. Sutton, what is this concept of alert fatigue? How
    do some alerting practices like those requiring statewide
    dissemination across large States contribute to widespread opt-
    outs from the wireless emergency alerts and erode trust when it
    matters most? I am concerned about this.
        Dr. Sutton. Many emergency managers across the United
    States are also concerned about this, which is one of the
    reasons they are hesitant to push the button when they need to.
    Overalerting is one of their primary concerns, that if they
    issue too many alerts too frequently for things that are
    frivolous or not considered to be severe and certain, that they
    will be penalized by their community, certainly questioned very
    strongly about why they chose to send something.
        However, when you do not use the alert system, it does also
    erode trust, because when a message is not sent, that is when
    people are in the gravest danger. The overalerting issues that
    we are currently seeing are related to warning fatigue, and
    also concerns about opting out of messages.
        In the State of Texas what we found in the study following
    the 2023 national test of the Wireless Emergency Alert System
    that the State of Texas has the most number of opt-outs, and
    that is related to the geographical scope of the message that
    they send, and also the type of hazards they send messages for.
        So we have seen that in Texas they send the most statewide
    alerts and the most AMBER alerts. And perhaps the most famous
    alert that they sent at 4:00 in the morning was for a blue
    alert, which--the FCC received more than 6,000 phone calls
    following that alert from people who were very frustrated by
    being woken in the morning for something they could not do
    anything about.
        Mr. Pallone. That is tough decisions that have to be made.
        Dr. Sutton. Yes.
        Mr. Pallone. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
        Mr. Allen [presiding]. I thank the ranking member for
    yielding. Now I would recognize myself for 5 minutes of
    questioning.
        More than a year ago Hurricane Helene, with over-100-mile-
    per-hour winds, ran through the entire stretch of my district
    and caused widespread damage and loss. We suffered multiple
    deaths and a loss of the power for weeks in some areas.I
    remember the first press conference that we held in the
    district, you know, there was no--you know, nobody had power,
    nobody had communications. And people asked, ``Where do we get,
    you know, shelter? Where do we get water? And where can we get
    food?'' And our Disaster Director said, ``Just go to our
    website, and it will tell you everything.'' We had no
    communications. And I realized then that something--we needed
    desperately do something about this.
        I do want to thank several groups that came together:
    obviously the generosity of Starlink, it pretty quickly got at
    least our disaster centers up; Georgia Power with Southern
    Link, at least, so we could communicate and start the cleanup
    and get power back on. And--but their communications with
    Southern Link was critical. And then the efforts of our cell
    services putting in temporary facilities and generators to at
    least give some limited cell service.
        But we all learned the importance of resilient
    communication networks when commercial networks were severely
    disrupted. And it was next to impossible for constituents to
    access information and resources during approximately 10 to 12
    days.
        I want to thank Chairman Hudson for holding this important
    hearing today and to our expert witnesses, and I want to thank
    you for joining us.
        Mr. Gerst, from a cost-benefit perspective, how does
    investment in Wireless Emergency Alerts compare to other public
    safety communication tools?
        Mr. Gerst. Mr. Vice Chairman, thank you for the question,
    and thank you, your experience in Hurricane Helene was, I am
    sure, challenging. But I can say that networks are stronger
    than they were before because we have spent billions of dollars
    deploying cell sites with overlapping coverage and
    capabilities.
        Every communication in a disaster situation is important.
    Whether it is a 9-1-1 communication or Wireless Emergency
    Alert, we want to make sure that service is there. And so, you
    know, we invest in both, you know, at equal efforts, making
    sure that our networks are available to get the emergency
    alerts out so people can know what to do in an emergency, and
    we make--invest in solutions to make sure that the 9-1-1
    capabilities are what consumers would expect. They can text,
    they can call, and they take advantage of the commercial
    solutions that we use every day.
        Mr. Allen. To follow up, if we want to have Wireless
    Emergency Alerts delivered everywhere, we need coverage
    everywhere. Isn't that a good reason why Congress should
    improve the permitting process, so that providers can more
    easily extend their coverage?
        Mr. Gerst. Mr. Vice Chairman, absolutely. We appreciate
    this committee's leadership on that issue of making sure that
    we can deploy wireless services, wireless infrastructure in
    more places, right? We have deployed 450,000 cell sites with
    overlapping coverage so that if some cell sites go out we still
    try to maintain services.
        You noted that we also have temporary capabilities. We call
    it the barnyard--the cows, the goats, the flying cows we can
    bring in. But overall, if we can reduce red tape and be able to
    get more infrastructure out into more places, we are going to
    have more resilient networks.
        Mr. Allen. Thank you.
        Captain, do first responders have the communication tools
    necessary to do their jobs effectively?
        Mr. Varnado. In some instances, yes, we do. In many we do
    not. We need a new reimagining of next generation 9-1-1 and the
    communications possibilities that they can bring to us.
        Mr. Allen. As far as--and this is for any of the witnesses,
    I got about 42 seconds--so what improvements can be made to the
    public safety communications ecosystem? Would anybody like to
    offer a suggestion?
        Yes, Ms. Manner.
        Ms. Manner. Thank you very much, and thank you for the
    question.
        I think that is where space comes in, and satellite. And
    you saw it yourself when you were talking about the recent
    example with Starlink. Like Starlink, AST SpaceMobile actually
    provides--will be providing broadband, and that will give first
    responders the ability when the networks are down to
    communicate, but also for users across the country to reach
    emergency services like 9-1-1.
        Mr. Allen. Great.
        Ms. Manner. Thank you.
        Mr. Allen. Thank you very much. Again, thank you to the
    witnesses.
        And with that, I am out of time. I will yield back and call
    on Representative Soto for his 5 minutes of questioning.
        Mr. Soto. Thank you, Chairman.
        Nine-one-one is a lifeline for every American. Hurricanes,
    medical emergencies, violent crimes, accidents: At one point or
    another, every central Floridian will experience one of these
    emergencies, unfortunately. Cops and firefighters, EMTs, our
    heroes, are ready to come to the rescue, but only if that call
    comes through.
        Unfortunately, we have seen Republicans took away a key
    funding source for 9-1-1 with a spectrum sale, using proceeds
    to help fund their Big Ugly Law that was helping billionaire
    tax breaks. But here we are, trying to get this done finally,
    and next generation 9-1-1 will be critical, a grant program to
    upgrade legacy communications infrastructure for local 9-1-1
    systems.
        The key is redundancy. Cellular, broadband, satellite. When
    one fails, another picks up the call. We have seen this over
    and over again in Florida. We launch a lot of those satellites
    from the Cape, the district right next to mine. When everything
    else fails, that has been a helpful part of it, although we
    need to continue to increase speeds.
        Ms. Manner, how do you think we are doing on--it fills the
    gap, speeds are starting to improve. How do you think low Earth
    orbit satellites can help with a disaster recovery during those
    first couple of hours to days where we may struggle? And how is
    the speed improving?
        Ms. Manner. So I thank you for the question. Yes, we are
    launching many of our satellites from Florida.
        And one of the things I think that would help is there is a
    great constraint on launch capability today. So I think you
    would see more satellites being launched as launch capabilities
    increased.
        Our system is somewhat different than what is up today,
    which is we are starting to launch and will have deployed in
    the next year--we will be able to provide broadband speeds. We
    have already tested it, 120 megabits, which is comparable to
    what you get with your cellular system. So with that you are
    going to be able to have the ability for first responders to
    communicate using broadband.
        So our partner, FirstNet, for instance, or other first
    responders are using our partners' networks--AT&T and Verizon--
    will be able to have broadband communications. So downloading
    plans of a house if you are fighting a fire, knowing where
    things are.
        We are also working with our partners--our system is
    capable for the public safety requirements, 9-1-1 and emergency
    alerting, so as that gets integrated into our partners'
    networks--this will take a little bit of time, it is a brand-
    new technology--you will have those services available, and I
    think that will make everything much easier for users, as well,
    to get the help they need.
        Mr. Soto. Thank you, Ms. Manner, and we have had a record
    number of launches, over 100 this year, at Cape Canaveral. We
    see it twice a week from our backyard, so we know we will be
    getting there.
        Ms. Sutton, you know, in central Florida we have a very
    diverse community. We have folks who speak Spanish, Portuguese,
    Haitian Creole. You add in a million tourists at any given time
    to central Florida who could come from around the world.
        How can we make emergency alerts more accessible to
    constituents and tourists in central Florida--especially during
    a hurricane--who may not speak English as a first language?
        Dr. Sutton. Thank you for the question, and you are raising
    one that is very important and very difficult for local
    emergency managers to address.
        We do not have good strategies for translation to other
    languages. While AI solutions have been proposed, a more
    reliable strategy is to have in-office personnel who have the
    ability to do that translation activity. However, it is very
    limited across the States. I appreciate that Florida has a more
    robust activity in that area and has supported the efforts
    within the hurricane area of helping to do translation using
    AI, but it is a problem that we need more research and more
    resources to address.
        Mr. Soto. Thank you, Ms. Sutton. And you mentioned if we
    have translators, professionals to be able to help, that is
    ideal. But as--Captain Varnado, you mentioned if we don't have
    those, AI may be the best that we can do.
        What has been your experience in any tests that you may
    have seen with attempts to use AI to improve different
    languages for 9-1-1?
        Mr. Varnado. What we have seen--and I have only seen it in
    beta tests so far--we are going to be beta testing it here in
    the near future in our center in Livingston. But there are many
    ways to leverage AI, to leverage new technologies that are out
    there to improve the notifications, language translations, also
    transcriptions of calls that we can actually see the
    transcription coming across and even translated at that point.
        Mr. Soto. Thank you.
        My time is expired.
        Mr. Hudson [presiding]. Thank you. The Chair now recognizes
    the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Griffith, for 5 minutes for
    your questions.
        Mr. Griffith. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and I
    appreciate you calling this important hearing, and I appreciate
    all of our witnesses for being here today.
        Ms. Manner, your company, AST SpaceMobile, recently seems
    to--really seems to have a great use case in rural and
    mountainous areas like the area I represent in southwest
    Virginia.
        Can you speak to the reasons why a mobile service provider
    currently may not allow for satellite alert capabilities? Does
    that make sense to you?
        Ms. Manner. Let me try. So thank you for the question.
        So I think, first off, it takes a little while to get
    networks integrated. So one of the things we are doing--our
    partners here in the United States are AT&T and Verizon, so we
    are working them. This is a first time that you are ever
    integrating satellite into the emergency alert system, so we
    are working with testing with AT&T and Verizon. So you will see
    it, it is just going to take a little bit of time for it to get
    to a place. We don't want to deploy before it is reliable and
    people can depend on the service.
        Mr. Griffith. And I do appreciate that. I will tell you
    that this is of great concern to me because when Hurricane
    Helene hit--I am just over the border from North Carolina--
    two--one county in particular and part of one county were hit
    not quite as hard as the worst of North Carolina but pretty
    darn close. Most of my district was hit in some heavy fashion.
        And for various reasons--and I checked into it afterwards
    and it was different stuff in different parts and different
    carriers--in at least five of my counties we lost cell service
    completely. We lost land lines because of the disruptions, the
    flooding, and the wind, and then we lost cell service. And if
    it wasn't for space-based technologies being brought in, we
    would have been, really, literally up the creek without a
    paddle.
        And so I am really excited about this because, you know, in
    those emergencies where everything is lost, you got to have
    something. I can remember being in Grayson County at the
    command center where they did--for some reason they did have
    WiFi working there, and one of the guys had to leave to go
    check on his mother. He told her to stay home, but she wanted
    to go out and see what was going on.
        As it turned out, she was fine, but he had no way of
    getting in touch with her, and he didn't know where she was. He
    lost track of where his mother was, so he had to go look for
    her.
        I was driving separately from my district director. He went
    into a hole. Literally, a small opening happened in the road
    and his car went into it, the back end of his car went in. This
    will tell you about my district. A farmer saw him go in, got a
    tractor out there, and they pulled him out. But for over 2
    hours, nearly 3 hours, I had no idea why he didn't show up at
    the rendezvous point because we had no way to communicate.
        So having, you know, all the technologies working together
    seamlessly is important. And then that raises the question,
    What prevents the seamless transfer between terrestrial and
    satellite coverage for first responders?
        Ms. Manner. So I think for us, we are just putting up our
    satellites. So we will--as I said, we will have full,
    continuous coverage. So we have to get--our FCC approval is
    still pending, we have to get the satellites up. But once we
    have that, and once we get through the testing process and the
    integration, I don't think there is really much of anything
    that will prevent it. But it does take a little bit of time.
        I agree how urgently--I have been working on this issue for
    30 years of my career, so I am happy to say that I do think we
    are there and it will start to become more pervasive across the
    United States very quickly.
        Mr. Griffith. And I think that is great. I mean, I just
    have to tell you that I know there are a lot of people who want
    fiber run to every house. In my district in some areas, to get
    to that house at the end of the last mile or the last mile and
    a half or the last two-and-a-half miles, you are talking about
    more than $100,000, maybe a couple hundred thousand dollars to
    get to 1, 2, or 3 houses. Those folks would be thrilled to have
    space-based of any type available to them.
        I know that is not what we are here about today, but it is
    extremely important. And competition always lowers prices,
    which is important to my district, as well.
        Captain, let me ask you a question, and I appreciate you
    being here today.
        So, you know, I am a little biased towards the space stuff,
    but what type of mobile network outage information would be
    helpful to first responders during a natural disaster?
        Mr. Varnado. Knowing what--a visual knowing of what is out.
    Right now I can look at my power companies and I can tell what
    power lines are out, where power is not being provided, but I
    can't tell where my telecommunications infrastructure is not
    working.
        Mr. Griffith. And I have run out of time, and the chairman
    is going to beat me down. So I appreciate that answer, but that
    is extremely important because I didn't know why my district
    director wasn't responding. And if we had had some way when I
    was at the command center in Independence, Virginia, for
    Grayson County, if we had had some way of knowing that we were
    out--the only reason I know that there were 5 or 6 counties out
    is I was traveling in those counties and didn't have service.
    That is the only way I knew that.
        I yield back.
        Mr. Hudson. Thank you. The Chair now recognizes the
    gentleman from California, Mr. Ruiz, for 5 minutes for your
    questions.
        Dr. Ruiz. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        As an emergency medicine physician and previous command
    physician for the City of Pittsburgh during my residency at the
    University of Pittsburgh, affiliated residency in emergency
    medicine, I understand that when someone dials 9-1-1 they are
    often experiencing the worst moment of their life. They expect
    their call to go through, that the dispatcher can locate them,
    understand the situation, and send help immediately.
        Unfortunately, in too many communities across this country,
    including parts in my district in the Coachella Valley and
    Imperial Valley that I represent, the expectation is not always
    met. In my district first responders cover vast rural areas,
    agricultural communities, Tribal lands, and desert terrain.
    During extreme heat events, wildfires, flash floods, or medical
    emergencies, reliable communications can mean the difference
    between life and death. You all know that speed is a factor
    during emergencies, and yet many 9-1-1 centers still operate on
    legacy systems that cannot handle modern data, are vulnerable
    during disasters, and struggle to interoperate across
    jurisdictions.
        Copper wire theft has compounded these challenges, leaving
    some communities without reliable landline service and further
    jeopardizing access to emergency help. That is why next
    generation 9-1-1 is so critical. NG 9-1-1 allows text, images,
    video, and precise location data to reach dispatchers,
    capabilities increasingly necessary when a caller cannot speak,
    does not know their exact location, or is calling from a mobile
    device.
        But technology alone is not enough. Congress must ensure
    that policy, funding, and governance structures allow these
    systems to function when they are needed most.
        Captain Varnado, what are the main barriers--financial,
    regulatory, technical, or all of the above--preventing rural
    and underserved communities like the Coachella and Imperial
    Valleys from fully adopting next generation 9-1-1?
        Mr. Varnado. I think the largest is funding, especially in
    the rural areas, because they don't have the infrastructure to
    have the resilient and redundant features of next generation 9-
    1-1.
        Mr. Soto. Thank you. And at the end of the day, this is
    about fair allocation of resources and safety. A family in
    rural Imperial or Coachella Valleys deserve the same reliable
    access to emergency services as someone in a major metropolitan
    area. Satellite-enabled connectivity has the potential to fill
    gaps where traditional networks fail, especially in the desert
    and agricultural communities.
        Mr. Gerst, first you and then Ms. Manner: How can satellite
    technology support wireless customers' access to public safety
    communications and improve reliability during outages and
    disasters?
        Mr. Gerst. Congressman, thank you for that question. I
    think it is safe to say that wireless has reset consumers'
    expectations on public safety. They expect to be able to reach
    9-1-1 and get those emergency alerts everywhere they are at all
    times.
        We have been working for years to build out our networks
    and--as far as they can go. But, you know, there have been
    areas that we just can't reach, particularly in rural and
    remote areas. We are very excited about the new partnerships
    that the wireless industry is entering into with satellite
    companies to be able to extend those services, to extend the
    reach of 9-1-1 communications and emergency alerts out to those
    areas.
        Dr. Ruiz. Thank you.
        Ms. Manner?
        Ms. Manner. So thank you. I think it is--one important
    thing to know, it is not just when the terrestrial network
    isn't available, it is when the terrestrial network isn't
    adequate, isn't of a high-enough quality. And satellite can
    complement the terrestrial wireless stations to provide that
    additional connectivity, especially in areas where maybe you
    don't have the best of service. So I would add that that is an
    important consideration.
        And I really do--I worked on the creation of FirstNet, and
    I was quite serious when I talked about we were looking for a
    way we--I know--I did the funding analysis for FirstNet for how
    it was funded, and we knew there was only enough money to
    provide service to a certain percentage of population coverage
    across the U.S. So to get hand-held service, direct-to-device
    broadband service out to the first responders----
        Dr. Ruiz. Thank you.
        Ms. Manner [continuing]. In areas like your district, I
    think, is critical. And you are never going to get there with
    terrestrial alone.
        Dr. Ruiz. Thank you.
        Ms. Manner. Thank you.
        Dr. Ruiz. You know, this is a continuum of emergency care
    that we need, all the way from recognizing the emergency,
    calling, having the first responders respond quickly, having an
    emergency department--potentially an ICU--and saving a person's
    life, keeping them alive, and seeing them walk out of the
    hospital. This is one component of that continuum of emergency
    care.
        Thank you.
        Mr. Hudson. Thank you. I like that phrase, Doctor,
    ``continuum of emergency care.'' I like the application there,
    very good.
        The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Texas, Mr.
    Goldman, for 5 minutes for your questions.
        Mr. Goldman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, very much.
        Ms. Manner, since you are Texas-based, I am going to focus
    on that. Tell us more about your company and what your goals
    are in the future. I mean, it is very interesting what you are
    doing, but how big do you plan to get? And is it only to fill
    in a gap of what is not there or to expand even further?
        Ms. Manner. So thank you, and we are very proud to be
    located in the great State of Texas.
        Mr. Goldman. Where are you based, by the way?
        Ms. Manner. In Midland.
        Mr. Goldman. OK.
        Ms. Manner. So--and we have our manufacturing facilities
    there. And just to give you an idea, I joined in May of this
    year, and the company has already grown exponentially. We are
    now manufacturing six satellites a day in our facility.
        [After the hearing, Ms. Manner submitted the following
    update for the record:]

            Unfortunately, I misspoke on one issue during the question and
            answer period. Specifically, at 1:33:10 in the hearing record,
            I stated that AST SpaceMobile ``is manufacturing six satellites
            a day.'' This was an error. I meant to state ``We are now
            manufacturing six satellites a month.''

        Mr. Goldman. And how many employees?
        Ms. Manner. About 1,800 across the company, and we continue
    to grow. I actually have a number of openings, if you know of
    anyone.
        Mr. Goldman. OK, good. Everyone now knows.
        [Laughter.]
        Ms. Manner. So----
        Mr. Goldman. I hope my staff is not listening.
        [Laughter.]
        Ms. Manner. So I think, you know, our vision of our CEO,
    Abel Avellan, who founded the company, was to really solve the
    digital divide. When I went to meet with him when I was first
    joining, he really recognized the only way you are going to
    solve the digital divide is to get broadband into people's
    devices. And so I think our goal is to make sure that anyone
    who needs to be connected is connected.
        We find being headquartered here and working in Texas, that
    we have the skills and the staff that we need to help meet that
    goal. And working with our partners here, we are also deploying
    globally so it is a global service. We have over 50 partners
    around the world today, as well as our strategic investors. So
    we are well on the path to getting there.
        Mr. Goldman. So you mentioned that you are trying to get
    those who are connected connected--not connected connected. Is
    the future, though, to compete in the open market with those
    who are connected?
        Ms. Manner. We are partnering with the MNOs. I think that
    was one of the important visions of our founder, of Abel
    Avellan, was to work with the wireless partners to bring the
    service to subscribers across the globe. So, for instance, we
    are unique. If you think about it, we brought together AT&T and
    Verizon to work together with us as a--in a partnership.
        Mr. Goldman. And is there any discussions or any 9-1-1 or
    any emergency services? Talk to us about that.
        Ms. Manner. It is a tremendous focus of our company, is
    making sure that our part--that we have the capabilities, which
    we will in our network, to provide all the required public
    safety--meet all the required public safety requirements of our
    partners like AT&T and Verizon. So whether that is 9-1-1,
    emergency alerts, we are working with them to bring that to
    their subscribers.
        Mr. Goldman. OK. Thank you very much.
        Ms. Manner. Thank you.
        Mr. Goldman. Mr. Chairman, thank you for the time. Let me
    brag on a great Texas company.
        I yield back the rest of my time.
        Mr. Hudson. Thank you. The Chair now recognizes the
    gentleman from California, Mr. Peters, for 5 minutes for your
    questions.
        Mr. Peters. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Chairman, for
    holding this important hearing.
        Congress has the responsibility to empower our first
    responders locally with the tools they need to make informed
    decisions that keep our communities safe. Federal investments
    in public safety communications will provide police officers
    and firefighters in San Diego and across the country with the
    most up-to-date information. And this ensures that they are
    prepared to aid the community in times of trouble.
        One thing I would say too about our police department is it
    is very large, and it is difficult to make big changes all at
    once. And so the Federal participation in terms of funding is
    really a smart strategy for communities like ours. And I
    applaud the chairman for his legislation.
        One of the ways Congress can help public safety authorities
    be even more responsive is through generation--next generation
    9-1-1, so I am glad to see we are considering the H.R. 6505. We
    did have an opportunity to fund this from spectrum auctions.
    The majority went a different way, and we will have to find
    money for that, but I do appreciate the opportunity to discuss
    this.
        I had an opportunity recently to participate in a ride-
    along with my local police department, and one of the things
    that was most striking about it was how antiquated the
    technology was in the car and to respond to.
        And so I wanted to ask Captain Varnado and then Mr. Gerst:
    What sort of technological improvements have been made? What
    sort of upgrades would next generation 9-1-1 enable? What can
    we expect to see in the next 5 or 10 years as a result of this
    innovation?
        Mr. Varnado. As a communications technology advances, we
    are going to see major changes. But right now we are seeing
    very small steps. We need to have major change in our networks
    specifically so that it can run the types of technology that is
    needed in our systems.
        Mr. Peters. Yes. Mr. Gerst?
        Mr. Gerst. Thank you, Congressman. You know, for our part,
    the wireless industry, the connection to deliver the
    communications to the public safety community, we want to
    deliver services the way that consumers expect to be able to
    reach 9-1-1. That is through voice, that is through text, that
    is through using all of the great commercial applications we
    use on our devices almost every day.
        And so for the better part of the last decade we have
    invested in these solutions. We can do multiple new things now
    that we didn't used to be able to do. We have text to 9-1-1
    available nationwide by the providers and for the public safety
    community PSAPs that receive it. We have location-based
    services that allow us to pinpoint, based on within a city
    block, within a few floors of a building. And we also are able
    now to route calls based on that information. Previously, we
    were doing that based on the cell site that was resulting in
    some of the calls going to the wrong PSAP, and now we are using
    location-based information to make sure that all those calls
    are getting to the right PSAP.
        So all these technologies that are in our phones, use every
    day, we are using them for public safety services too.
        Mr. Peters. Right, and I guess the hardware follows the
    network, right? So once the network is available, you expect
    people to respond with hardware that can go in each police car,
    for instance, right?
        Mr. Gerst. Yes, absolutely. I mean, the availability of--
    the innovation that we have seen on wireless networks, the
    investments in 5G technology, the investments--the, you know,
    innovation and the devices that we get, you know, almost on an
    annual basis, a new device that has got all these new features,
    we integrate all of those capabilities for public safety
    purposes too.
        Mr. Peters. Right. I am proud to represent Qualcomm in my
    district. They are developing advanced public safety solutions
    leveraging 5G technology. And also Qualcomm is a central part
    of developing the 6G technology. That is direct voice, video,
    text communications even when cellular networks are
    unavailable, as with regions that are devastated by hurricanes
    or by wildfires.
        Captain Varnado, are you hearing about technology that is
    out there that would be helpful for our first responders
    already for deployment?
        And how will next gen 9-1-1 expedite the ability of first
    responders to adopt emerging technologies?
        Mr. Varnado. I think the biggest is that we are currently
    using yesterday's technology.
        Mr. Peters. Right.
        Mr. Varnado. We are utilizing technology from the 1960s and
    1970s----
        Mr. Peters. Right, right.
        Mr. Varnado [continuing]. To run the 9-1-1 systems
    currently today. So there is innovation, but we have got to
    have that improvement in the networks so that that information
    can be shared, it can be interoperable.
        And interoperable is really the key word there. We have got
    to be able to share that data from beginning to end, as
    Congressman Ruiz said, that continuum of care.
        Mr. Peters. Right, right.
        Mr. Varnado. That is what we really need.
        Mr. Peters. What is sort of the timeline? If everything
    went great for you, how long do you see the network being in
    such a condition that we are really going to see different
    hardware in police cars?
        Mr. Varnado. I would find a hard time giving you a specific
    timeline. I would say in the next 2 to 5 years we would see a
    total transformation of that. We are already seeing it with AI
    coming. APCO and iCERT are working together on AI innovation
    and things, so I think it is coming.
        Mr. Peters. My time has expired, Mr. Chairman. I yield
    back. Thank you.
        Mr. Hudson. Thank you. The Chair now recognizes the
    gentleman from Texas Mr. Pfluger, for 5 minutes to ask your
    questions.
        Mr. Pfluger. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. At the most recent
    hearing on public safety, we heard about the critical role that
    wireless emergency alerts play in public safety and how low
    Earth orbit and satellites with direct-to-device capabilities
    for mobile carriers can enhance that.
        During natural disasters, when communication infrastructure
    is damaged, or in rural areas where it doesn't exist at all,
    like in my district, mobile service can be inconsistent. Not
    having access to emergency alerts can also mean the difference
    between life and death. And every member of this committee has
    learned this all too well, whether it was during wildfires that
    we have talked about today or the flooding in central Texas at
    Camp Mystic, for which the bill I am going to talk about is
    named after.
        And on July 4 the devastating floods swept through my
    hometown and throughout much of central Texas, where two of my
    daughters were attending camp. Gosh, it is even hard to talk
    about it now. But these alerts can be lifesaving and, you know,
    you see the damage that was done at that time there, and I
    think this is why it is really important what you all are
    talking about today.
        So we have decided to name my bill the Mystic Alert Act,
    which would incorporate satellite into the wireless emergency
    alert process to close the divide to deliver timelier alerts
    via satellite. And I appreciate both sides of the aisle coming
    together to discuss this.
        And we know that low Earth orbit satellite partnering with
    commercial services to provide that direct-to-device
    capabilities will help to not only close that digital divide
    but also provide the emergency services when you are in a
    situation where it is needed.
        And it is neat to have a home district company, AST, that
    offers this exact service. So Ms. Manner, I will get to you in
    just a second.
        But Mr. Gerst, in your written testimony you described WEAs
    as among the most powerful alert and warning tools available to
    protect the public when emergencies unfold.
        Can you discuss how incorporating the space-based mobile
    broadband into the WEA system would improve this, and
    especially in areas where that infrastructure is damaged or in
    rural areas?
        Mr. Gerst. Congressman, thank you so much for your
    question. I know this is a personal issue for you. It is
    personal for me, too, as a dad of kids who go to summer camp.
        WEAs work. When they go, when they are sent, they save
    lives. And so our goal is to get those messages out as quickly
    as possible with the capabilities that our networks, wireless
    networks, can reach.
        But we know that they don't reach all areas right now,
    despite all of our efforts and investment and deployment. So we
    are very excited about the opportunity to partner with
    satellite companies. We are in the very early stages of that
    right now, but there are some advancements we are seeing
    already.
        Your bill is--shows real leadership to help us move that
    forward. So thank you for that.
        Mr. Pfluger. Well, thank you.
        And Ms. Manner, we are very proud of AST and have been
    following the progress for many years since my very first visit
    in Midland, Texas, to watch what you all are doing with
    satellites. But can you talk about the work that you are doing,
    that AST is doing to support the emergency alerting system, and
    how incorporating space-based mobile broadband into the WEAs
    would help first responders in their preparedness?
        Ms. Manner. So thank you very much, Congressman, and we are
    very proud to be a Midland-based company.
        So I think going back to basics in our network ensures that
    we have space--that we have emergency alert capability. That is
    part of our DNA, part of our recipe. So right now we are
    working with our partners here in the U.S.--AT&T and Verizon--
    to make those services available.
        But I do want to say it is going to take a little bit of
    time and a little bit of money because we have to make sure we
    have sufficient satellites up and operational. And as you know,
    Congressman, we are on our way there, planning to launch 45 to
    60 satellites this year so we will have full coverage of the
    U.S. And we must complete network integration with our
    partners.
        But when it is deployed--that is where we get exciting--is
    that U.S. subscribers will be able to receive emergency alerts
    even on the most tragic days in the U.S. when the terrestrial
    network is not available. And that is why we do support the
    purpose and intent of the Mystic Act.
        So thank you very much.
        Mr. Pfluger. Well, thank you. Thank you for the work that
    you do.
        Captain Varnado, I am going to have to submit a question
    for the record on my Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act.
        But I just want to say that this, you know, this event, I
    think, it was--it is tragic. You know, there is--the loss of
    life along the Guadalupe River, where, you know, I have grown
    up as a kid. And now, you know, having kids that are attending
    that camp was just so tragic. And this is something,
    technologically speaking, that you all have a solution for that
    I am very hopeful that our Congress can come together to
    utilize this to prevent that from happening not just there but
    in any area, in any circumstance, that we can have that
    information at our fingertips.
        And Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this hearing. I
    yield back.
        Mr. Hudson. Thank you.
        The Chair now recognizes the gentlelady from California,
    Ms. Barragan, for 5 minutes for your questions.
        Ms. Barragan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think this is an
    important hearing, but I have to say I am extremely
    disappointed that it would be held in conflict with a
    classified briefing in which they are talking about possible
    military strikes and a war that we would get into. So it is
    just shocking to me that that would be done.
        The Wireless Emergency Alerts are one of the fastest ways
    to get lifesaving information to the public. And so I am so
    grateful for the work that everybody on this panel has done on
    that work. They give families the critical seconds they need to
    stay alive during fires and earthquakes and other emergencies.
    I know when I see an alert I immediately look at it and then
    ask myself, Did my family get it? Do people I know get it? This
    is so important.
        Recently--there are recent events in my district like a
    container ship fire at the Port of Los Angeles happened where a
    shelter-in-place alert was not put in place for nearly 6 hours.
    It demonstrates how human error puts lives at risk.
        So Dr. Sutton, I want to ask you. Los Angeles communities
    have seen repeated emergency alerting failures over the past
    year, including alerts accidentally sent hours too late or
    missing critical details about where and when the emergency is
    taking place.
        Where do you see the largest gaps in training for the
    public safety officials who send emergency alerts? And what can
    Congress do to address them?
        Dr. Sutton. Thank you for that question.
        The gaps in training are linked to standards, that there
    are no specific standards for training for emergency alert
    providers beyond being trained to utilize the system itself.
    Monthly tests are simply issued as test messages within a
    closed system, not requiring individuals to practice writing
    messages or sending them to live locations.
        Training would significantly improve, but the standards
    need to be set requiring authorized alerting providers to take
    additional training on how to write complete and actionable
    messages. And currently those things do not exist.
        Training also is not complete in that area. Most of the
    times, public information officers are trained on crisis
    communications and not on alerts and warnings.
        Ms. Barragan. Great, thank you.
        Mr. Gerst, I found your testimony to be pretty powerful and
    very important. I want to thank you and the wireless industry
    for the important and often the lifesaving role they play in
    delivering emergency alerts to the public.
        Now, when I was reading your testimony I think what really
    struck me is when you talk about, you know, during these life-
    threatening situations you say wireless communications are
    often the first and sometimes the only connection between
    Americans and the emergency response heroes that keep everybody
    safe. And so I think that just highlights the critical role
    that the wireless industry plays.
        You also write in your testimony about how the wireless
    industry works to ensure that all Americans can get access to
    critical information when help is needed the most, and I think
    the critical word there is ``all Americans.'' I think about
    people like my mom. I think about people like neighbors that I
    know who may not have English as a first language.
        And making sure that people in my district that speak
    Korean and Tagalog and Vietnamese also can get those emergency
    alerts, you would agree they too should be able to receive
    these wireless emergency alerts in a language they can
    understand, yes?
        Mr. Gerst. Absolutely.
        Ms. Barragan. Well, thank you. The FCC recently published a
    rule on December 10, 2025. It is called the Wireless Emergency
    Alerts in the Emergency Alert System. This summary talks about
    the implementation of parameters for multilingual Wireless
    Emergency Alerts. It states in here it is requiring commercial
    mobile service providers who participate in WEA to support
    multilingual templates for the most commonly issued and most
    time-sensitive types of alerts in English, the next 13 most
    commonly spoken languages in the United States, and American
    Sign Language.
        Mr. Gerst, I think this is progress. I think this is real
    progress. It is why I worked with the Congressional Hispanic
    Caucus, I worked with the Congressional Black Caucus, and the
    Asian Pacific American Caucuses to support moving forward with
    something like this immediately because we know that once the
    wireless industry implements its plan, alerts sent by public
    safety officials in English will automatically show up in your
    phone's default language. The innovation will save lives.
        Mr. Gerst, will you commit on behalf of CTIA that a
    wireless industry representative will meet with me in my office
    to discuss how the industry will implement the FCC's 30-month
    plan to ensure that wireless emergency alerts reach all
    Americans, as you say, including my constituents who don't
    speak English?
        Mr. Gerst. Congresswoman, we are happy to meet with FEMA.
    We work with the FCC. We work with FEMA to--and all agencies to
    enhance Wireless Emergency Alerts. We are working to implement
    multilingual alerting, as well. In fact, today alert
    originators can use an embedded link in a device to get
    multilingual information out. So in the meantime, we encourage
    alert readers to do that so they can get the information they
    need to the communities they serve, but we are happy to meet
    with government officials on this issue.
        Ms. Barragan. Great. I look forward to hearing about your
    wireless--the wireless plan done in 30 months.
        Thank you.
        Mr. Hudson. Thank you. The Chair now recognizes the
    gentlelady from Indiana, Mrs. Houchin, for 5 minutes for your
    questions.
        Mrs. Houchin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to the
    ranking member for--and the witnesses for being here today for
    your testimony.
        I am glad to see this committee is taking up a slate of
    bipartisan bills. Public safety communications is one of those
    rare areas where the technology is moving fast, the stakes are
    high, and Congress has a real opportunity to make systems work
    better in the moments that matter most.
        When I have met with first responders in my district in
    southeast Indiana, I consistently hear that clear, coordinated
    systems allow them to share information quickly, direct
    resources effectively, and keep both first responders and the
    public safe in very, very critical moments.
        We have heard today how much the landscape has changed.
    Wireless networks now carry more than 80 percent of 9-1-1
    calls, and providers are investing heavily in resiliency and
    backup power. But at the same time, our 9-1-1 professionals are
    still operating on infrastructure that traces back to the
    1970s. Without Federal standards or directed funding, adoption
    of next generation 9-1-1 remains an uneven and fragmented
    process across multiple States and localities.
        Against that backdrop, the bills before us today, ranging
    from the NG 9-1-1 Act to the Mystic Alert Act, the Emergency
    Reporting Act, and others, represent a chance to build a
    modern, interoperable, and resilient public safety ecosystem.
        Mr. Varnado and Mr. Gerst, several bills today aim to
    strengthen interoperability across public safety ecosystems.
    What should Congress prioritize to ensure that 9-1-1 systems,
    alerting platforms, wireless networks, and emerging satellite
    services function as a unified network across State and local
    boundaries?
        Mr. Varnado. I think Congress should adopt a comprehensive
    framework for next generation 9-1-1 to ensure all communities
    have access to modern, reliable, and interoperable emergency
    communications.
        Mr. Gerst. Congresswoman, thank you for the question. We
    are working every day right now to work with 9-1-1 authorities
    to implement next generation 9-1-1 for our part. Our part is
    delivering the calls to the call centers.
        We completely agree that the Federal Government should
    marshal its forces, its resources to help State and local
    governments move to the next generation 9-1-1 services as
    quickly as possible, given the interoperability, the
    redundancy, all the capabilities that consumers who place calls
    on our networks expect our public safety services to have.
        Mrs. Houchin. And it is really, honestly, unbelievable to
    me that we are here in this--at this point, when we are 20-plus
    years post-9-1-1, when we have had--we saw those
    interoperability problems exacerbated to tragic levels, and we
    are still yet talking about next generation 9-1-1. So I do hope
    that this hearing will move our work forward to completion.
        Mr. Gerst, as NG 9-1-1 systems come online, AI tools are
    already being tested for call triage, translation, and
    identifying high-risk situations. What opportunities and risks
    do you see in applying AI inside 9-1-1 call centers?
        And what safeguards should we consider if those
    capabilities become standard elements?
        Mr. Gerst. We are very excited about AI overall, whether it
    is network optimization and better speeds and services for the
    consumers we serve, and we are also seeing how AI can be
    helpful, as you mentioned, in triage processes. I believe NTIA
    put out a report just a couple of weeks ago that their
    analysis, or analysis that was provided to them, showed that AI
    using--triaging nonemergency calls reduced, you know, those
    calls by 40 percent. That helps our telecommunicators, the
    folks who actually take the calls, have the ability to respond
    to the calls that they need--actually need help.
        I will defer to Captain Jack Varnado on the specifics of
    the operations, but overall we are very excited about what AI
    can do in that space.
        Mrs. Houchin. Thank you. And as a Member of Congress, I
    have visited my--some of my dispatch centers, fielded a call or
    two for the dispatch system, and really am grateful for the
    work that they do, and the support that we can give them is
    critical. I would encourage lots of Members of Congress to go
    take the time to visit the dispatch center to see what they
    deal with on a daily basis and the difficulties engaged in
    that.
        Thank you again to the witnesses. Today's hearing makes one
    thing unmistakably clear: First responders cannot do their jobs
    without communication systems that are trustworthy,
    interoperable, and resilient. This bipartisan work in front of
    us is an opportunity to close those gaps. I look forward to
    continuing this effort with our colleagues on both sides of the
    aisle.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back.
        Mr. Hudson. Thank you. The Chair now recognizes the
    gentleman from Louisiana, my partner in 9-1-1, Mr. Carter, for
    5 minutes for your questions.
        Mr. Carter of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank
    you for your leadership. Thank you to our witnesses for being
    here today.
        Across the United States, hundreds of millions of calls are
    made to 9-1-1 every year. However, there are 9-1-1 call centers
    in Louisiana and across the country that still lack modern 21
    first--21st century communication infrastructure. This can
    significantly delay emergency response times and put lives at
    risk.
        This is why I am proud to colead this bipartisan
    legislation with Chairman Hudson to modernize our 9-1-1 systems
    infrastructure. This legislation will ensure dispatchers and
    first responders have the best digital tools at their disposal
    and are well prepared and equipped to respond when disasters or
    emergencies strike our communities.
        Captain Varnado, as you know, Louisiana has faced some of
    the most--some of the Nation's most devastating natural
    disasters, including hurricanes that stressed our 9-1-1 system.
    How can improving our interoperability between emergency
    communications centers across parishes help ensure that first
    responders can coordinate effectively during these events and
    maintain reliable access to 9-1-1 for all Louisianians?
        Mr. Varnado. Congressman, thank you so much for that, and
    thank you for the work that we have done in the past at the
    State legislature.
        But I can tell you, you know, during hurricanes, especially
    the hurricanes that we have had come ashore in the last 25
    years, we have seen evacuations needing to occur, call volumes
    increasing on call centers in upper inland Louisiana. And we--
    right now we don't have the ability to be able to transfer our
    9-1-1 operations to a different center in the legacy network.
    We need that ability to be able to transfer that and get them
    out of harm's way for being able to be the resource during
    times of emergency.
        So a resilient, robust, and secure network is what we need
    to be able to function for our citizens. We don't take
    everybody out of the cone of damage, we are staying----
        Mr. Carter of Louisiana. There are a lot of pieces of this
    puzzle that people never see.
        Mr. Varnado. Yes.
        Mr. Carter of Louisiana. The challenges that you undertake
    are grave, and we greatly appreciate the heroic acts that you
    and your men and women perform.
        Captain Varnado, as you know, my district includes both
    urban areas and smaller rural communities. Many of the rural
    and underserved areas in my district face unique challenges,
    including continued reliance on outdated 9-1-1 legacy systems.
    How would funding from proposals like the Next Generation 9-1-1
    Act improve and enhance emergency response capabilities in
    rural and underserved communities that might lack adequate
    communication infrastructure?
        Mr. Varnado. It is going to give them a level playing field
    to be able to access those high-speed internet networks. They
    need the ability--in many of those rural areas there is one
    internet provider. There is one. There is no resiliency there.
    That is why we are glad to see the satellite companies coming
    in to be able to--here in the near future be able to do that.
    But we need to have resilient and redundant communication
    networks.
        Mr. Carter of Louisiana. Any small gap in communication
    means precious minutes, seconds, which translates to, in many
    cases, a person's life or death.
        Mr. Varnado. Yes.
        Mr. Carter of Louisiana. If a person has a stroke or a
    heart attack, in need of instruction, those precious seconds
    that a lack of state-of-the-art technology provides could mean
    the difference between life and death. Is that correct?
        Mr. Varnado. Yes, they--absolutely.
        Mr. Carter of Louisiana. So can you describe the importance
    of cybersecurity in the transition of next gen 9-1-1?
        Mr. Varnado. In your----
        Mr. Carter of Louisiana. Can these upgrades alleviate some
    of the security vulnerabilities that might exist across the
    antiquated legacy systems?
        Mr. Varnado. In yours and Chairman Hudson's bill, it does
    that. It sets up a cybersecurity resource center that we can
    share data about threats. But in our current legacy systems,
    the operating systems on a lot of these are so old they cannot
    even take some of the new cybersecurity measures into place. So
    there is a huge vulnerability right there. But in your bills,
    they actually have that cyber resource center that we need so
    badly because we are not the experts in cybersecurity.
        Mr. Carter of Louisiana. But you are the experts in saving
    lives.
        Mr. Varnado. We are.
        Mr. Carter of Louisiana. And as we conclude my portion of
    this and pass on to my other colleagues, I want to say thank
    you. Thank you to you all for the incredible work that you do,
    the unsung heroes that often people don't see. They don't see
    the voice behind 9-1-1, the person that offers the help, the
    person that administers the resources. So we have never said it
    before. Let us be very clear: We greatly appreciate you. Thank
    you.
        I yield back.
        Mr. Hudson. I thank the gentleman. The Chair now recognizes
    the gentlelady from Virginia, Ms. McClellan, for 5 minutes to
    ask your questions.
        Ms. McClellan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member
    Matsui, for holding this very important topic--hearing on a
    topic that impacts all of our communities.
        As we have heard today, communities rely on 9-1-1 systems
    not only in moments of crisis but for the trust and confidence
    that comes from knowing that help is on the way. As we confront
    school shootings, hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, and other
    emergencies, we have to ensure that our first responders have
    reliable and operable and modern communication tools. That is a
    necessity, not a luxury.
        It is critically important that no community gets left
    behind in the transition to next gen 9-1-1, yet the latest data
    available shows--and as Captain Varnado has so eloquently
    stated many times today--many communities, particularly our
    rural ones, are in fact being left behind. The most recently
    available data from 2021 shows that only 12 States have 100
    percent of their population served by next gen 9-1-1-capable
    PSAPs, or--11 States have 0 percent of their population so
    served.
        Our September hearing on this issue made clear that funding
    is a primary challenge to PSAPs making this transition, and we
    have heard that here today. It is important to note that,
    generally, it is our local governments that own and operate and
    therefore have to pay for the establishment, operation,
    maintenance, and transition of these PSAPs through their
    general funds and, in some cases, local- and State-imposed E9-
    1-1 surcharges. That is not enough.
        Our local governments face numerous fiscal challenges, and
    that is why I am so pleased to see Chairman Hudson and
    Representative Carter's bipartisan leadership to establish a
    funding mechanism to help upgrade legacy 9-1-1 systems to NG 9-
    1-1. But as the conversation here today, particularly with
    Captain Varnado, has illustrated, the rub will come in how much
    money gets appropriated for these grants.
        Congress last estimated the cost to transition all 5,700
    PSAPs, primary and secondary, to next gen 9-1-1 in 2018, but
    the costs have likely gone up in the past 7 years through
    inflation, through the cost of labor, increases in costs and
    fiber optic components, PVC, and other insulation materials
    used as a result of tariffs. So the total cost to upgrade all
    5,700 primary and secondary PSAPs is likely--has likely gone
    up.
        So today's discussion and the associated bills are critical
    to ensuring that these benefits are realized nationwide and no
    community is left behind. But whether these bills are
    successful in closing those gaps is going to depend on how much
    funding Congress makes available. So far, we failed the mark.
        So let me ask all witnesses: How do these uneven levels of
    NG 9-1-1 capability and deployment undermine emergency response
    when Federal responders and law enforcement operate across
    multiple State and local jurisdictions, particularly during
    large-scale or cross-border emergencies?
        And I will start with you, Captain.
        Mr. Varnado. I think that we are talking about two
    different types of things. Locals and States usually handle 9-
    1-1 calls and emergencies, planned events at the Federal level.
    So they are a little bit different there. But the need to be
    able to coordinate those responses is very much so needed.
        Ms. McClellan. And do you think that having different
    levels of capability to receive emergency calls in different
    jurisdictions that have to coordinate in a multijurisdictional
    event, particularly with Federal officials, makes that
    coordination more complicated?
        Mr. Varnado. It does make it more complicated. We need to
    be a seamless, resilient network together that we can share
    data back and forth, one to the other.
        Ms. McClellan. Thank you. And I don't have much time left,
    but if anybody would like to add on to that.
        All right. No? And then I had one question that I may need
    to have Ms. Sutton to answer on the record.
        You talked about how one of the biggest hurdles we have to
    overcome is also the language we use to communicate. What is
    the top actionable change you would like to see in how
    emergency systems communicate with the public?
        Dr. Sutton. I would like--thank you for that question, and
    I would like to see training required for every authorized
    alerting provider who touches the system. That means everyone
    who writes messages, who has the authority to push the button,
    they need to be trained and not have just a single person
    within the office have that required training. Instead, it
    should go through every single person who has the ability to
    push the button.
        Ms. McClellan. Thank you, and I yield back.
        Mr. Hudson. Thank you. The Chair now recognizes the
    gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Carter, for 5 minutes to ask your
    questions.
        Mr. Carter of Georgia. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and
    thank all of you for being here. Mr. Chairman, this is such an
    important hearing. The public safety debate is so very
    important.
        It is also very personal for me. I had two granddaughters
    at Camp Mystic and, unfortunately, one of their cousins didn't
    make it. And Janie Hunt is now in heaven. So this is certainly,
    certainly something that is very important to me and to
    everyone who was involved at Camp Mystic.
        We come a long way with Wireless Emergency Alerts and
    especially at critical times. But sometimes the system doesn't
    work like we want it to. And unfortunately, that was one of
    those times.
        Mr. Gerst, I am curious. And this was kind of just alluded
    to by the doctor, but I am curious as to how we can make sure
    alert originators are providing the right information in a way
    our constituents can digest it quickly.
        In other words, do we need more training programs? Would
    you agree?
        Mr. Gerst. Congressman, yes, absolutely.
        Mr. Carter of Georgia. You know, one of the things that I
    have done in my district is--and I represent south Georgia, I
    represent the coast of Georgia and south Georgia. We have a lot
    of hurricanes. And one thing that we have--we try to do every
    spring before the hurricane season starts is get all the
    emergency personnel together and start communicating and
    sharing ideas, making sure everybody knows everybody and that
    everybody is--because the hurricane doesn't know county
    boundaries, and every county has got different public service
    personnel and groups. So we try to make sure that we are
    communicating, and certainly making sure that we are training
    is very important.
        How can we improve some of these alerts that we have, Mr.
    Gerst?
        Mr. Gerst. Well, Congressman, again, on the--your personal
    experience, you know, I know this is an issue for--personal
    issue for you. It is also a personal issue for, I think, all of
    us who want to make sure that Wireless Emergency Alerts get out
    to the people that need them when they need them.
        For our part, we deliver the message that alert originators
    send. They decide where it goes, when it goes, what it says. We
    have new capabilities, new--we have included geotargeting. We
    enable different features within the devices. We are going to
    have location-aware mapping capabilities coming out next year.
    The FCC continues to encourage the industry and push the
    industry to add new features. Alert originators need to know
    how to use those features so that they can effectively serve
    their communities.
        The work Dr. Sutton is doing in trying to help train alert
    originators is critical to make sure that they can use those as
    effectively and maintain WEA as a powerful tool.
        Mr. Carter of Georgia. What about sending emergency signals
    with satellite technology? I know in western North Carolina
    after Hurricane Helene, that was something that was--certainly
    something that would have been useful.
        Mr. Gerst. Congressman, absolutely. We believe our networks
    are stronger than they have ever been, with billions of dollars
    we have invested, with redundancy, with all the capabilities to
    make sure that our cell sites are up and running when they need
    them.
        We have two challenges to that. That is the availability of
    power and the availability of fiber backhaul. And that is why
    we are really excited about satellite technology, because in
    those situations where it is hard to get the power back on, it
    is hard to get to those areas to deploy that fiber, if we can
    rely on satellite technologies to make sure that the public
    can--and consumers can reach 9-1-1 or they can get Wireless
    Emergency Alerts, it is going to make them ultimately safer.
        We are already seeing some examples of that today, you
    know, hikers in a rural area being able to reach 9-1-1 and, you
    know, challenges of the 9-1-1 community now having to serve
    those areas that they didn't have to serve before. So we are
    working through all these issues, but we are in--and we are in
    the early stages. It is a very exciting opportunity, though, to
    serve the public.
        Mr. Carter of Georgia. You know, I am proud to be the
    cosponsor of the Mystic Alert Act with Congressman Pfluger, who
    had daughters at Camp Mystic, as well. And it is in honor of
    Janie Hunt and the other victims of the Camp Mystic flood. This
    bill, it would direct the FCC to undertake a formal rulemaking
    to establish technical standards to establish protocols and
    operational requirements to allow commercial mobile service
    providers to deliver emergency alerts via satellite
    connectivity.
        If this bill were signed into law, Mr. Gerst, how should
    the FCC balance flexibility for innovation with the need to
    uniform national alerting standards?
        Mr. Gerst. Congressman, thank you for that question
    because, you know, this committee helped to usher in Wireless
    Emergency Alerts from the beginning and put in a flexible
    framework to be able to use the technology that we have
    available. And we settled on cell broadcast technology so that
    anybody, no matter what service they are subscribed to, can get
    access to Wireless Emergency Alerts if they have a WEA-capable
    device. So we think that that system works well. We want to
    make sure that, as we are integrating new capabilities, we are
    able to preserve those capabilities going forward.
        I am happy to work with you and the congressman on your
    bill.
        Mr. Carter of Georgia. OK. Well, and I am out of time, but
    I want to ask you real quickly: What kind of timeline is
    realistic for the FCC to establish something like this?
        Mr. Gerst. Congressman, it is a great question and
    something that I am sure we are happy to work with you on.
        Mr. Carter of Georgia. OK. Thank you very much. Thank all
    of you for everything you are doing. Thank you from the bottom
    of my heart.
        Mr. Hudson. I thank the gentleman.
        I ask unanimous consent to insert in the record the
    documents included on the staff hearing documents list.
        Without objection, so ordered.
        [The information appears at the conclusion of the hearing.]
        Mr. Hudson. Seeing there are no further questions, I would
    like to thank our witnesses for being here today. This was a
    fantastic hearing. We have learned a lot of good information.
    Thank you for making the time to be here.
        I will remind Members they have 10 business days to submit
    questions for the record, and I ask the witnesses to respond to
    these questions promptly. Members should submit their questions
    by the close of business on Tuesday, December 30.
        Without objection, the subcommittee is adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 12:15 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
        [Material submitted for inclusion in the record follows:]
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