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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, led a markup of several public safety communications bills.

“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 they have the best tools to do their jobs and best serve all Americans,” said Chairman Hudson. “I want to thank my colleagues for their continued commitment to this issue and for their work developing these proposals.”

Legislative Vote Summary:

• H.R. 6505, Next Generation 9-1-1 Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 2076, LuLu’s Law, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 5200, Emergency Reporting Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 5201, Kari’s Law Reporting Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 7022, Mystic Alerts Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 1519, Public Safety Communications Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.

Watch the full hearing here .

Below are key excerpts from today’s markup:

Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01) on the Mystic Alerts Act: “The Mystic Alerts Act strengthens our emergency alerting framework by directing the FCC to establish standards and requirements that allow alerts to be delivered via satellite connectivity, ensuring redundancy when traditional networks are down, by incorporating satellite-based capabilities. This bill helps ensure emergency alerts can reach rural communities, disaster zones and other hard to reach areas, improving resilience and saving lives during floods, wildlife, wildfires, hurricanes and other emergencies. This legislation honors the victims of the Camp Mystic flood by taking meaningful action to prevent similar tragedies and by making our emergency communications system more reliable, modern, and resilient.”

Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) on the Mystic Alerts Act: “Today, too many Americans lose access to alerts when cellular infrastructure is damaged, overwhelmed, or nonexistent—particularly in rural areas—and this bill helps to close that gap by ensuring emergency alerts can still be delivered via satellite when traditional networks fail. […] There is still work to be done to incorporate technical assistance into this legislation, but moving the Mystic Alerts Act forward is a meaningful step toward modernizing public safety communications, closing dangerous gaps in emergency alert coverage, and ensuring Americans can receive critical information when it matters the most.”

Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03) on the Public Safety Communications Act: “This bill strengthens federal coordination for Next Gen 911, ensuring that states have a clear, accountable partner as they modernize their emergency systems. Public safety communications should never be political, fragmented, or unclear. Right now, they are. This bill fixes that. It keeps public safety in charge, reduces confusion and strengthens accountability where it belongs. I appreciate the engagement from our public safety stakeholders and remain committed to the collaboration as we move this bill forward.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, delivered the following opening statement at today's hearing titled Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission.

Subcommittee Chairman Hudson’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Good morning, and welcome to today’s oversight hearing – the first this congress – of the Federal Communications Commission. Welcome back to Chairman Carr—congratulations on your appointment as Chairman—and Commissioner Gomez. I want to extend a special welcome, or should I say welcome back, to Commissioner Trusty. Congratulations on your confirmation and welcome to your first oversight hearing at your old stomping ground. It is always exciting to see a former Energy and Commerce Committee staffer become a commissioner. I know Mr. Latta is very proud.

“The FCC had an active 2025 that can be summed up in one word: deregulation. Under Chairman Carr, the FCC has taken significant steps to reduce barriers to broadband deployment, modernize outdated regulatory regimes, and delete obsolete rules. These efforts include preempting state and local barriers to wireless infrastructure deployment—which I appreciate, as some of y’all know already, I am too familiar with calls dropping as I drive around my own district—reforming the satellite licensing process, and ensuring that Next Generation 911 networks are reliable and interoperable, another issue I’ve made my top priority over the years. Together, these efforts will accelerate closing the digital divide, unleash the new space economy, and strengthen America’s wireless leadership. I applaud the FCC for this work.

“The FCC still has significant work ahead, including modernizing outdated media ownership rules. Last year, I led a bipartisan letter with more than 70 members of Congress urging the Commission to revisit its broadcast ownership caps. Local broadcasters remain the most trusted source of news for most Americans, yet they now compete in an uneven marketplace shaped by well-resourced new entrants, most notably Big Tech. Burdened by outdated regulations, local broadcasters are increasingly unable to compete, a reality reflected in newsroom closures and the growing concentration of influence among national networks and social media platforms. Current ownership caps prevent broadcasters from combining or expanding operations, constraining their ability to invest in local journalism. Updating these caps would help ensure broadcasters remain viable and competitive without creating monopolies. It would empower local stations to better compete against dominant platforms. I urge the Commission to keep these realities in mind as it continues its deregulatory agenda.

“A huge accomplishment this year was the Working Families Tax Cut’s direction of the FCC to auction 800 MHz of spectrum for commercial use. Making this spectrum available is essential to America’s leadership in 5G and 6G. I am pleased that the agency has already begun this work by identifying at least 100 MHz for auction in the upper C-Band. As the agency looks for the remaining spectrum, both on its own and in coordination with others, I know you have important decisions to make and I urge the FCC to be mindful of investment that has already taken place in existing commercial bands, such as the 6 GHz band and the CBRS band. The proposal your agenda laid out this month to expand unlicensed operations in the 6 GHz band is a great step.

“Finally, I am a member of the bipartisan, bicameral Universal Service Fund Working Group. The USF, overseen by the FCC, helps support broadband access to high-cost rural areas, schools and libraries, rural health centers, and low-income households. Last year, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the USF. But it is past time to reform this program to ensure its long-term sustainability and ensure the funds are reaching the right people. Congress needs to reexamine what the USF supports and how it is funded. A sustainable USF is essential to ensuring all Americans have access to affordable, reliable broadband. Given the FCC’s role in administering the Fund, I look forward to discussing ways to ensure the USF remains viable for future generations.

“Today’s hearing is an opportunity to discuss the many important issues before the FCC. I thank the Commissioners for being here today and I look forward to our conversation.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, led a legislative hearing titled Protecting America’s Energy Infrastructure in Today’s Cyber and Physical Threat Landscape.

“Altogether, this package of security bills comes at a critical time,” said Chairman Latta. “Our adversaries remain close on our heels to overtake the United States as the leading technological superpower on the world stage. Our communities cannot afford to endure disruptive large-scale attacks that can be prevented with commonsense solutions and collaboration.”

Watch the full hearing ** here **.

Below are key excerpts from yesterday's hearing:

Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14): “I like to tell people that the things that make America great are the things that America makes. Now, how do we do that? We do that with a reliable, dependable power system. Electric grids include all of those things that we need—everything that we need to make this country great. It’s the President’s reason for doing all of the things he’s doing that continues to make America great, so that we have a dependable, reliable, affordable energy supply. Would you agree?” Mr. Fitzsimmons: “Yes, I would, sir. And I would add to that the energy system has to be built to meet peak demand in the summer and the winter, when electricity is needed most or people die. The head of NERC has called the situation facing the grid due to the disastrous energy subtraction policies of the previous administration, a five-alarm fire for the grid. That is simply because of the premature retirement of too much reliable, dispatchable generation.”

Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23): “Not only is my district rural, but we also experience severe winter storms that can threaten grid reliability, fuel delivery, and emergency response for days at a time. During Winter Storm Elliott in 2022, a prolonged cold and high energy demand strained the electrical grid. It disrupted fuel supplies, and it complicated restoration efforts. The storm underscored how weather alone can expose vulnerabilities across the entire energy system, even without a cyber or a physical attack. Under Secretary Fitzsimmons, how does DOE evaluate and plan for severe weather risks? And what steps does your office take to incorporate lessons from past severe weather events into preparedness, response, and coordination efforts?” Mr. Fitzsimmons: “That’s a great question because as I mentioned, the energy system is built to meet summer and winter peaks. That is our fundamental responsibility to keep the lights on. And so, one of the core capabilities that CESER has is a capability that’s called Eagle Eye. It’s run in partnership with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. And that allows us to have real-time situational awareness on power outages all across the country.”

Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15): “I am particularly interested in the Energy Emergency Leadership Act, which would update the Department of Energy Organization Act to include energy emergency and energy security functions assigned to an assistant secretary. Mr. Fitzsimmons, will elevating the DOE’s emergency response to an assistant secretary elevate the level of communication and coordination with other agencies?” Mr. Fitzsimmons: “I think what’s more important than the particular title that the head of the office holds is the mission of the office, and that is incredibly important. We’ve been working on refocusing and clarifying the CESER mission because it is so important. It’s a new office, and sometimes new offices can kind of struggle to figure out where they fit. What we’ve said is CESER’s mission is to provide timely and actionable information to the energy sector. That’s then used to inform the development of world-class cyber and physical security technologies, which are used to harden and secure energy infrastructure.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, led a hearing titled Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission.

“The FCC had an active 2025 that can be summed up in one word: deregulation,” said Chairman Hudson. “Under Chairman Carr, the FCC has taken significant steps to reduce barriers to broadband deployment, modernize outdated regulatory regimes, and delete obsolete rules.”

Watch the full hearing here.

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05): “We’d have discussions when we talked about 4G, 5G, 6G, and I’d always ask this question: are we winning the race? Who’s our competitor out there? [...] So, are we winning this race out there when we talk about 6G?” Chairman Carr: “We are. We had fallen behind, in my view, during the Biden years. And now, we’ve hit the accelerator, and we are going to be leading the world once again.”

Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03): “So many of these robocalls and some of these scam texts originate from overseas [...] Talk to me about your coordination efforts with your counterparts overseas and what we need to do here in Congress to strengthen that.” Chairman Carr: “We are pursuing, at the FCC, the idea that if you get a call on your phone from abroad, it shouldn’t necessarily, in my view, display a U.S.-based area code, because that could mislead someone to think that this is a call originating in the U.S. So, if you’re a company and you want to have a call center overseas, at least be truthful and honest with your customers. So, we’re looking at that. We’re looking at potentially doing standards for call centers to make sure that foreign call centers are compliant with our customer service regulations. So, a lot of effort was taken on that front.”

Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07): “During the first Trump administration, they unlocked additional 6-GHz bandwidth in 2020. When the first Trump administration made that available, nearly 70 countries followed our lead. Now China is trying to undermine those efforts in Europe. And we’re hearing good things out of the Trump administration defending that broadband. You’ve talked about the importance of Wi-Fi to American innovation. Can you explain why it's pivotal that America lead on Wi-Fi?” Commissioner Trusty: “Absolutely. As I mentioned a little earlier, I’ve been a proponent of an all-of-the-above approach to spectrum policy, where we accommodate a variety of users, use cases, and technologies. When you look at things like CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service), the United States has long been a leader in innovative uses of spectrum, and CBRS is a model for that. It accommodates the military, transportation, logistics, tracking, schools, hospitals, and much more. My job at the FCC is to ensure spectrum is being put to its highest and best use. Given all of these use cases, I think it emphasizes the meaningful benefit of CBRS and unlicensed spectrum.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, led a legislative hearing titled Examining Legislative Options to Strengthen Motor Vehicle Safety, Ensure Consumer Choice and Affordability, and Cement U.S. Automotive Leadership.

“The American automotive industry has long been a driving force behind job creation and continuous improvements in the comfort, safety, and quality of the vehicles on our roads. While technologies and times have evolved, our commitment to innovation, safety, and consumer choice remains unchanged,” said Chairman Bilirakis. “Today’s hearing underscored the importance of updating policies to reflect modern advancements, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to advance these bills, strengthen motor vehicle safety, and ensure American automotive leadership remains at the forefront of the global marketplace.”

Watch the full hearing here .

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05): “Mr. Fulton, will you explain why the federal preemption provision is necessary and how its intersection with safety case provision will foster the development of AVs here in the United States?” Mr. Fulton: “You and Congresswoman Dingell were right a decade ago. [...] There's a grand agreement among Republicans, Democrats, state and local regulators, and the Congress and the Executive Branch itself across multiple administrations that this is the consensus, industry-driven way to do it that is fully understandable and can be executed upon. [...] I certainly hope that Congress once again agrees with you and passes this bill with the safety case provisions.”

Congressman Gabe Evans (CO-08): “We also have today the PART Act to address the scourge of catalytic converter theft across the country. I was a cop. [...] It's a particular problem that Colorado has grappled with being the number one state in the nation for auto theft multiple times over the last five years. [...] Quite often [that’s] the result of some of these statewide Democrat soft-on-crime policies. Our attorney general, Phil Weiser, [...] remarked people should only be kept in jail after 'someone commits a third or fourth car theft in three months.’ [...] So, I'm heartened by the PART Act actually taking this problem seriously, because I've seen the impact that this has on my constituents.”

Congressman Craig Goldman (TX-12): “Considering the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) resource constraints, what legislative reforms could improve the agency's efficiency in addressing high traffic fatalities, especially in districts such as my own, that consist of urban and rural mixes?” Ms. Cain: “We really do think a number of the reforms that are laid out in the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act are precisely the sorts of reforms that are needed in order to make the agency more effective. [...] We think the research and rulemaking plan that's outlined in the proposal is fantastic and a way to ensure alignment between NHTSA’s research program and rulemaking program. The modernization of [the New Car Assessment Program] will be a critical component of getting new and innovative safety technologies on the road as well.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Examining Legislative Options to Strengthen Motor Vehicle Safety, Ensure Consumer Choice and Affordability, and Cement U.S. Automotive Leadership.

Subcommittee Chairman Bilirakis’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome. Today we will be examining legislation aimed at modernizing motor vehicle safety. Thank you to our witnesses for joining us.

“Whether it is protecting our kids online or ensuring the safety of the cars in our driveways, we have always understood that there is no partisan way to save lives. In 2024, nearly 40,000 people died on our roadways.

“We often talk about these numbers as statistics, but every single one of them represents an empty chair at a dinner table. We cannot accept this as the cost of doing business.

“That is why we must focus on solutions to strengthen motor vehicle safety and empower NHTSA to succeed in its mission to save lives. I would like to highlight several solutions to bolster motor vehicle safety and enable innovation.

“First, we are considering a bipartisan discussion draft of the SELF-DRIVE Act, which establishes a federal framework for the safety deployment of autonomous vehicles. I want to commend Mr. Latta and Ms. Dingell for their hard work over many years to produce this discussion draft.

“AVs are not just a luxury; they can be a lifeline. By reducing human error, which causes the vast majority of crashes, we can prevent tragedies before they happen. AVs can also empower seniors and people with disabilities to be mobile and regain their independence.

“This legislation is also necessary to successfully compete against communist China, who are seeking to flood the world with Chinese self-driving technology. We cannot let America fall behind.

“Second, we are considering the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act, which makes substantial reforms to NHTSA to improve the agency’s operations, ensure the agency is accountable to Congress, and empower the agency to better advance automotive safety and innovation.

“These include reforms to NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program, which provides market incentives for automakers to compete on safety.

“The bill ensures accountability to providing Congress and stakeholders a defined roadmap of the agency’s research and rulemaking priorities. The bill also revamps NHTSA’s general exemption process to allow for the deployment novel vehicle technologies so America can lead in safety and innovation.

“Finally, as we consider proposals to ensure motor vehicle safety, we must keep in the mind the high costs of motor vehicles, which reached a record high of $50,000 for an average new vehicle. If consumers cannot afford new vehicles, they will not be able to take advantage of the innovative safety features in these vehicles, which will have adverse impacts on highway safety.

“I am confident that, working together, we can advance legislation that prioritizes safety and American automotive leadership. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on how we can achieve that dream together.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, delivered the following opening statement at today's hearing titled Protecting America's Energy Infrastructure in Today's Cyber and Physical Threat Landscape.

Subcommittee Chairman Latta’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Welcome to today’s hearing and thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us to inform our legislative efforts to secure and strengthen the nation’s energy systems.

“The reliable delivery of energy through our critical infrastructure is foundational to the modern economy and the health and welfare of all our communities.

“At a time of tremendous growth in our nation’s energy demands, the need for effective security cannot be overstated.

“During our recent hearing examining cyber and physical threats, we heard directly from operators and experts about the capabilities of adversaries and the work to safeguard against efforts to exploit vulnerabilities to disrupt the everyday lives of hardworking Americans.

“Addressing cyber and physical threats is no easy task.

“The avenues for malicious activity only widen as digitization, communications, and linkages of gas pipelines, new generating resources, and transmission take root to meet energy demands.

“The interconnected nature of our energy systems requires constant intelligence sharing, clear visibility into threat landscapes, and sufficient resources to fill gaps in security protections for rural and small utility service territories.

“That is exactly what the legislation before us seeks to accomplish.

“Importantly, the Energy Emergency Leadership Act strengthens the Department of Energy’s central energy sector security mission.

“It does so by requiring that its well-established energy emergency and cyber functions are led by an Assistant Secretary, confirmed by the Senate.

“This will ensure the Department has the focused and accountable leadership to more fully protect the public from fuel and electricity supply disruptions, including emerging threats from our foreign adversaries to the nation’s electric grid.

“As the Sector Risk Management Agency for the energy sector, DOE requires visibility over the whole system and actively collaborates not only with the power sector, but also the oil and gas sector to prepare and respond appropriately to emergencies. DOE’s central role in Federal coordination and providing technical assistance as needed is critical for a secure energy system.

“The Pipeline Cybersecurity Preparedness Act will enhance and formalize DOE’s work in this area, so we have a stronger, more resilient energy sector.

“Alongside this bill, the Energy Threat Analysis Center Act would formally authorize a valuable program that improves information sharing and coordination on threat analyses.

“The Energy Threat Analysis Center, or ETAC, brings together key public and private partners, including the intelligence community, to address vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and provide operational support for energy sector resilience.

“The Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act will improve cybersecurity protocols and equipment for small utilities, electric co-operatives, and public power agencies by providing targeted funding and technical assistance.

“These small entities typically serve our most rural and remote communities that do not have the same resources as their larger investor-owned counterparts.

“States too play an essential role in protecting energy infrastructure within their borders.

“Last Congress, this committee held a field hearing in North Carolina to examine the attack on a substation in Moore County that left 30,000 people without power.

“The SECURE Grid Act, which I plan to sponsor with my colleague from California’s 7th Congressional district, builds upon the existing State Energy Security Plan framework to expand the visibility of potential threats to local distribution and supply chain networks.

“Altogether, this package of security bills comes at a critical time.

“Our adversaries remain close on our heels to overtake the United States as the leading technological superpower on the world stage.

“Our communities cannot afford to endure disruptive large-scale attacks that can be prevented with commonsense solutions and collaboration.

“The bills before us today present a bipartisan opportunity to secure our nation’s energy system so we can fuel economic growth in job creating industries across the country.

“Today we’ll hear from the Department of Energy, which has been helpful providing technical assistance to our bi-partisan work today.

“Alex Fitzsimmons, Acting Undersecretary of Energy, will provide a broad view of DOE’s important energy sector work and how this legislation may advance that work.

“Our second panel of witnesses will also inform our work from their perspectives on the front lines of cyber and physical threat protection.

“I look forward to the discussion today.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, announced a subcommittee markup of six bills to improve public safety communications in the United States.

WHAT: Subcommittee on Communications and Technology markup of six bills.

DATE: Thursday, January 15, 2026

TIME: 9:00 AM ET

LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

Items to be considered:

• H.R. 6505, Next Generation 9-1-1 Act (Reps. Hudson and Carter–LA)
• H.R. 2076, LuLu’s Law (Rep. Palmer)
• H.R. 5200, Emergency Reporting Act (Reps. Matsui and Bilirakis)
• H.R. 5201, Kari’s Law Reporting Act (Reps. Matsui and Bilirakis)
• H.R. 7022, Mystic Alerts Act (Reps. Pfluger and Fletcher)
• H.R. 1519, Public Safety Communications Act (Rep. Cammack)

This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed online at energycommerce.house.gov. If you have any questions concerning this hearing, please contact Noah Jackson at Noah.Jackson@mail.house.gov. If you have any press-related questions, please contact Daniel Kelly at Daniel.Kelly@mail.house.gov.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07) celebrated the House passage of the SHOWER Act, legislation that would increase consumer choice and put an end to regulatory whiplash for American manufacturers.

H.R. 4593, the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation with Exceptional Rinsing (SHOWER) Act, addresses burdensome regulations created under the Biden-Harris Administration and codifies the definition of a showerhead to reduce regulatory whiplash and restore consumer choice.

“American families deserve the freedom to buy the appliances and technologies that work best for them, not what federal regulators mandate. The decision to limit water flow by the Biden-Harris Administration was part of a broader effort to use heavy-handed federal regulations to limit consumer choice,” said Chairman Guthrie. “The SHOWER Act would address this issue by providing certainty for manufacturers, while improving water flow for consumers and restoring Congress’s original intent. Thank you to Congressman Fry for his work to advance this important legislation.”

“The House’s passage of my bill, the SHOWER Act, is a small win for common sense and consumer choice. At its core, this legislation isn’t just about showerheads — it’s about how far Democrats go to control our everyday lives, even in something small like a showerhead,” said Rep. Fry. “The SHOWER Act puts a stop to unnecessary federal overreach, protects consumer choice, and ensures Americans can make their own decisions in their own homes. Passing this bill is a victory for personal choice for Americans over the ‘all-knowing’ bureaucrats of Washington.”

BACKGROUND:

H.R. 4593, the SHOWER Act—Rep. Fry (SC-07)

• The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) defines “showerhead” broadly and, under current law, allows the maximum water use for any showerhead to be 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM) when measured at a flowing water pressure of 80 pounds per square inch.

• Historically, these standards and definitions were plainly interpreted until the Obama Administration—and then the Biden-Harris Administration—changed the commonsense regulations by asserting that the 2.5 GPM standard applied to the entire shower system, rather than an individual faucet.