FCC to clarify disaster communications systems for emergency managers
S. 4691 — Disaster Communications Coordination and Preparedness Act · Filed by Tim Sheehy (R-MT) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Jun 4, 2026 · Reported out
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What it does
This bill directs the FCC to review and improve how it notifies communications providers and emergency officials when it activates the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) during disasters, to evaluate whether it can better coordinate with state and local emergency managers through its 24-hour operations center, and to create plain-language public materials explaining how DIRS and other federal disaster communications tools work. The bill does not create new regulatory requirements or mandate new actions—it asks the FCC to study, consult, and inform.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is procedural and informational—it directs the FCC to review notification practices, evaluate coordination capabilities, and develop public awareness materials. It is not a regulatory overhaul, appropriation, or substantive policy change, but rather a mandate to improve transparency and coordination in existing disaster response systems.
What the text implies
- The bill's effectiveness depends entirely on FCC follow-through; no enforcement mechanism or appropriation is specified, so implementation may be delayed or incomplete if resources are not allocated.
- The feasibility evaluation in Section 4 may reveal that enhanced coordination is not operationally feasible, in which case the bill's core goal could be undermined by a negative finding.
- Plain-language materials developed under Section 5 may expose gaps or inefficiencies in current DIRS procedures, potentially creating political pressure for regulatory changes the bill itself does not mandate.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill improves transparency and coordination during disasters by requiring the FCC to clarify how federal disaster communications systems work and to strengthen the connection between federal agencies and state/local emergency officials. Better-informed emergency managers and clearer procedures can reduce confusion and improve response times when lives and safety are at stake. No new costs or restrictions on citizens are imposed.
Named in the bill
Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS), Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative, State, local, Tribal, and territorial emergency management authorities, Communications service providers
Where it stands
1 cosponsor: 1 Democrats.
- Jun 4, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
- Jun 4, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation”
- Jul 22, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
Money around this bill
1 lobbying clients named this bill on 1 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $30,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 6 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.
More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.
Tim Sheehy, the sponsor, reported $398,825 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.
- Lg Electronics Usa, Inc. — $30,000 on 1 filing
Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (5,700 characters) on Jul 5, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
Money — Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act filings whose specific-issue field names this bill for quarters ending Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. A filing's amount is reported whole beside the median number of bills a filing names; it is never divided across them. PAC receipts are FEC-reported contributions to the sponsor's candidate committee in the 2026 cycle.
As of — lobbying records through Jul 20, 2026 · page rendered 2026-10-20.
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