Today, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee voted unanimously to pass the First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act of 2026 (H.R. 7386) with a substitute amendment. This amendment was negotiated with the participation of active fire chiefs who are members of the IAFC.
The amended bill would:
- Would extend the life of the program to September 30, 2037.
- Increase the representation of active public safety professionals on the FirstNet Board.
- Reinforce the FirstNet Authority’s ability to deploy emergency response capabilities and resources to emergencies and disasters; set strategic priorities for the network; develop an annual budget and outline reinvestment decisions; and manage the device and application ecosystem within the FirstNet network in a timely manner without bureaucratic interference.
This legislation received bipartisan support during the committee markup. It is supported by a coalition of national fire, EMS, emergency management, and law enforcement organizations, along with national organizations representing state and local agencies.
Ken LaSala is the IAFC’s Director of Government Relations and Policy, and Steven Alonzo is a Government Relations Manager for the IAFC.