The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday unanimously passed the First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act of 2026, which would create new oversight and transparency requirements for FirstNet, the wireless communications network used by first responders, while also extending the service’s legal authority until 2037.
A $25 billion, taxpayer-funded service operated by AT&T, FirstNet provides communications for emergency services nationwide. In 2023, Tennessee became the first state in the nation to integrate FirstNet in all of its 9-1-1 call centers in a move called a “crucial milestone for public safety” by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance.
Under the legislation passed in the House, the First Responder Network Authority (FNA) would lose its independent status and come under the purview of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), in a move proponents say will improve safety and transparency.
It would also require five of the 15 members on the FirstNet Board to have backgrounds in public safety, and require AT&T to submit annual performance reports, a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan, report any network outages to the FNA, and require FirstNet to provide the contract between FNA and AT&T if requested by Congress.
“FirstNet is not just a network — it is the backbone of public safety communications in this country,” stated the bill’s cosponsor, U.S. Representative Neal Dunn (R-FL-02), after it passed the House on Monday. “Floridians know that in hurricanes and times of crisis, reliable communication for first responders can mean the difference between life and death.”
U.S. Representative Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), who sponsored the bill, called on the Senate to pass the legislation “to reaffirm the reliability and resilience of the emergency communications network in times of disaster and recovery.”
FirstNet has previously faced outages at critical moments, including after the Christmas Day 2020 bombing in Nashville. An AT&T building was reportedly impacted by the bombing, according to The Wall Street Journal, which reported that FBI agents were left without phone service as they searched for survivors amid the rubble due to the FirstNet outage.
The service was also down during a nationwide AT&T service outage in 2024, leaving emergency services unable to coordinate across various parts of the country. It faced more criticism over its performance during the Maui wildfires in 2023, with an inspector general (IG) report suggesting FirstNet had inadequately prepared for such a severe emergency.
As the U.S. Senate prepares to consider the bill, state and local lawmakers in Tennessee have contemplated their own efforts to improve key services following Winter Storm Fern, which left about half of Nashville Electric Service (NES) customers without power. NES commissioned an interim report that recently highlighted shortcomings in internal and external communication.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
