H.R. 7022

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7022 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7022

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 21, 2026

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

AN ACT

To provide for the transmission of emergency alerts by satellite, and 
for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Mystic Alerts Act''.

SEC. 2. TRANSMISSION OF EMERGENCY ALERTS BY SATELLITE.

(a) Service Provider Election.--
(1) Required filing.--Not later than 60 days after the 
effective date of the final rule required to be issued under 
subsection (b), each covered service provider shall file an 
election with the Federal Communications Commission with 
respect to whether the provider intends to transmit emergency 
alerts by satellite to the subscribers of the commercial mobile 
service of the provider who receive such service on devices 
capable of receiving such alerts, in addition to the 
transmission of emergency alerts under the Warning Alert, and 
Response Network Act.
(2) Notification; agreement.--If a provider elects to 
transmit emergency alerts to subscribers by satellite under 
paragraph (1), the provider shall--
(A) notify the Commission of that election; and
(B) agree to transmit such alerts in a manner 
consistent with the technical standards, protocols, 
procedures, and other technical requirements 
implemented by the Commission.
(3) Election not to transmit.--If a provider elects not to 
transmit emergency alerts by satellite under paragraph (1), the 
provider shall provide notice to new and existing subscribers 
described in such paragraph of that election in the same manner 
that is required under subparagraphs (B) and (C) of section 
602(b)(1) of the Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act.
(4) Consumer choice to opt out.--If a provider elects to 
transmit emergency alerts to subscribers of such service by 
satellite under paragraph (1), the provider shall prevent the 
device of any such subscriber that opts out of receiving 
emergency alerts pursuant to section 602(b)(2)(E) of the 
Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act, or classes of such 
alerts, from receiving such alerts by satellite.
(5) No fee for service.--If a provider elects to transmit 
emergency alerts to subscribers by satellite under paragraph 
(1), the provider may not impose a separate or additional 
charge for such transmission or capability.
(b) Satellite Alert Regulations.--
(1) Notice of proposed rulemaking.--Not later than 6 months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission 
shall publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to establish any 
requirements necessary to facilitate the satellite alerting 
capability of covered service providers.
(2) Requirements.--The requirements required by paragraph 
(1) shall--
(A) take into account the capability of--
(i) satellites to transmit emergency 
alerts; and
(ii) mobile devices to receive and display 
such alerts; and
(B) minimize the impact of emergency alerting on 
other voice and data communications, including 9-1-1 
communications.
(3) Final rule.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the 
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, issue 
a final rule establishing the requirements described under 
paragraph (1).
(4) Effective date of rule.--
(A) Date.--The effective date of the final rule 
described under paragraph (3) shall be the later of--
(i) 36 months after publication of the 
final rule in the Federal Register; or
(ii) 12 months after the Secretary of 
Homeland Security and the Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency implement 
any standards, protocols, or procedures 
necessary to support the transmission of 
emergency alerts from alert originators to 
covered service providers, the Secretary and 
the Administrator shall notify the Commission 
of such implementation.
(B) Notification.--The Secretary of Homeland 
Security and the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency shall notify the Commission of the 
implementation of any standards, protocols, or 
procedures described under subparagraph (A)(ii) for the 
purpose of determining the effective date of the final 
rule described under paragraph (3).
(c) Limitation of Liability.--
(1) In general.--Any covered service provider (including 
its officers, directors, employees, vendors, and agents) that 
transmits emergency alerts by satellite and meets its 
obligations under this Act shall not be liable to any 
subscriber to, or user of, such person's service or equipment 
for--
(A) any act or omission related to or any harm 
resulting from the transmission of, or failure to 
transmit, an emergency alert by satellite; or
(B) the release to a government agency or entity, 
public safety, fire service, law enforcement official, 
emergency medical service, or emergency facility of 
subscriber information used in connection with 
delivering such an alert.
(2) Election not to transmit alerts by satellite.--The 
election by a covered service provider under subsection (a)(3) 
not to transmit emergency alerts by satellite shall not, by 
itself, provide a basis for liability against the provider 
(including its officers, directors, employees, vendors, and 
agents).
(d) Covered Service Provider.--In this Act, ``covered service 
provider'' means a provider of commercial mobile service that--
(1) voluntarily elects to transmit emergency alerts under 
section 602(b) of the Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act 
(Public Law 109-347; 42 U.S.C. 1201); and
(2) makes satellite voice and data communications service 
available to subscribers of the commercial mobile service of 
the provider.

Passed the House of Representatives April 20, 2026.

Attest:

KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

Clerk.