Next Generation 9–1–1 Act
Congress Proposes Upgrading 9-1-1 Systems to Support Text, Photos, and Video for Emergency Calls
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill creates a grant program to help states and tribes upgrade their 9-1-1 systems to 'Next Generation' technology. This means emergency centers will be able to receive not just phone calls, but also texts, photos, and videos from people in distress.
- To receive the funding, states must prove they are using their local 9-1-1 fees correctly and not spending that money on unrelated government projects. They must also create a plan to ensure their systems are reliable and can work seamlessly with neighboring areas.
- The policy establishes a new national cybersecurity center specifically for 9-1-1 systems. This center will help local governments protect their emergency networks from hackers and share information about digital threats.
- A new advisory board will be formed with 16 members, including police officers, firefighters, and paramedics. This group will provide expert advice on how to best set up these new systems in both big cities and rural towns.
- The bill requires that any new technology used must follow open standards, meaning different brands of equipment can work together. This is intended to prevent emergency centers from getting locked into expensive contracts with a single company.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
The bill requires open and competitive procurement processes and the use of commonly accepted standards, preventing vendor lock-in. Small technology companies and equipment vendors could compete more fairly for Next Generation 9-1-1 contracts that might otherwise go exclusively to large incumbent providers.
Disabilities
Milestones
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Next Generation 9–1–1 Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(4)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.