Phone firms can send crisis alerts by space and get legal shields.

What it does

This bill lets phone firms send crisis alerts through space to phones. Alerts include tornado warnings and missing child notices. Firms must tell the FCC within 60 days if they join. They cannot charge extra and must let people opt out. Phone firms get legal shields if alerts fail or data is shared.

Who it affects

People in remote areas could get crisis alerts through space. Phone firms gain shields from lawsuits about alerts and data sharing. People lose the right to sue if alerts fail or their phone number is shared with the state.

One thing to notice

Phone firms cannot be sued if alerts fail or if they share phone numbers with state crisis teams. Rules will not be final for three to four years.

From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.

Where it stands

4 cosponsors: 2 Democrats, 2 Republicans.

• Jan 12, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jan 12, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology”
• Jan 15, 2026 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Mar 25, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 52 - 0”
• Apr 20, 2026 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2970)”
• Apr 20, 2026 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Allen moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

3 groups reported lobbying about this bill. They filed 3 reports from Jun 2026 to Jun 2026.

Those reports show $6,740,000 in lobbying spending. Each report lists about 26 bills. So that money was not all for this bill.

More groups named this bill than 61% of bills with any report.

August Pfluger, who sponsored the bill, received $1,050,825 from PACs for the 2026 election.

• Ctia-the Wireless Association — $3,640,000 in 1 report
• Verizon Communications Inc and Various Subsidiaries — $3,050,000 in 1 report
• Peace Officers Research Association of California — $50,000 in 1 report

Lobbying is legal. These reports show who lobbied about this bill, not what changed.

Words to know

• opt out — Choose not to get alerts or have data shared.
• FCC — The state agency that makes rules for phone firms.
• lobbying — Trying to influence lawmakers about a bill. Companies and groups pay people to do this.
• PACs — Groups that collect money and give it to candidates for office.
• sponsored — To sponsor a bill is to introduce it in Congress and put your name on it.