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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10940 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10940
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to promulgate
regulations establishing metrics, goals, and minimum requirements with
respect to the delivery of wireless emergency alerts, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 29, 2026
Mr. Mullin introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to promulgate
regulations establishing metrics, goals, and minimum requirements with
respect to the delivery of wireless emergency alerts, 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 ``Reliable Emergency Alert Delivery
Integrity Act of 2026'' or the ``READI Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTING CAPABILITIES.
(a) Metrics, Goals, and Minimum Requirements.--
(1) Regulations required.--Not later than 18 months after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission, in
consultation with any relevant Federal, State, local, or Tribal
agencies, shall promulgate regulations establishing--
(A) metrics to measure performance with respect to
the delivery of wireless emergency alerts, including
with respect to speed, reliability, and overshoot;
(B) specific, measurable goals with respect to the
delivery of wireless emergency alerts; and
(C) minimum requirements with respect to each
metric established under subparagraph (A) that
participating providers shall meet, which shall be not
less stringent than the level of performance
demonstrated with respect to such metric in the most
recent test of wireless emergency alerts conducted or
overseen by the Commission before the promulgation of
such regulations.
(2) Assessment of certain capabilities.--The regulations
promulgated under paragraph (1) shall provide for the
assessment of capabilities for meeting the goals established
under subparagraph (B) of such paragraph, such as enhanced geo-
targeting, expanded alert message length, multi-lingual alerts,
and device compatibility.
(3) Data collection and reporting by participating
providers.--The regulations promulgated under paragraph (1)
shall require participating providers to collect and report to
the Commission, on a schedule and in a format prescribed by the
Commission (but not less frequently than annually), data with
respect to the delivery of wireless emergency alerts that is
sufficient to assess whether such providers are meeting the
goals and minimum requirements established in such regulations.
(4) Annual reporting by commission.--Not later than 1 year
after the date on which the Commission promulgates the
regulations required by paragraph (1), and not less frequently
than annually thereafter, the Commission shall publish on the
website of the Commission information regarding whether
participating providers are meeting the goals and minimum
requirements established in such regulations.
(5) Review and updating of regulations.--Not later than 5
years after the date on which the Commission promulgates the
regulations required by paragraph (1), and not less frequently
than every 5 years thereafter, the Commission, in consultation
with any relevant Federal, State, local, or Tribal agencies,
shall--
(A) review the metrics, goals, and minimum
requirements established in such regulations;
(B) update such regulations with new or revised
metrics, goals, and minimum requirements, to the extent
the Commission determines appropriate based on the
review conducted under subparagraph (A); and
(C) publish the results of such review on the
website of the Commission and submit such results to
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate.
(b) Potential for Use of Advanced Translation Technologies To
Provide Multi-Lingual Alerts.--
(1) Study.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall--
(A) complete a study to evaluate whether advanced
translation technologies can produce accurate and
timely translations of the content of wireless
emergency alerts, as assessed by professional
translators and data from public comprehension surveys
on message translations, both at the source from which
such alerts are being sent and on the device on which
such alerts are being received, in a manner that is
comparable to or better than other methods existing
when such study is being conducted; and
(B) publish on the website of the Commission and
submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on
the results of such study.
(2) Pilot program.--If the results of the study conducted
under paragraph (1) are positive with respect to 1 or more
advanced translation technologies, including due to a possible
increase in accessibility and likely comprehension of wireless
emergency alerts by the recipient, more precise translations,
or a simpler process to create new translations, the Commission
shall, not later than 1 year after the date on which the
Commission publishes the report under subparagraph (B) of such
paragraph--
(A) complete a pilot program to test such
technology or technologies; and
(B) publish on the website of the Commission and
submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on
the results of such pilot program.
(c) Opt-Out Warnings.--Beginning on the date that is 1 year after
the date of the enactment of this Act, a participating provider that
offers a subscriber the capability of preventing the mobile device of
such subscriber from receiving a class of wireless emergency alerts
shall, before allowing such subscriber to exercise such capability,
ensure that such device--
(1) displays to such subscriber a notice that contains--
(A) a plain-language description of such class of
wireless emergency alerts, including the types of
emergencies for which wireless emergency alerts of such
class are issued;
(B) a link to a website of a Federal agency that
contains information about such class of wireless
emergency alerts; and
(C) a statement that, upon exercising such
capability, such subscriber will no longer receive
wireless emergency alerts of such class; and
(2) requires such subscriber to affirmatively confirm the
intent to exercise such capability.
(d) Enforcement.--The Commission shall enforce this section as if
this section is a part of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151
et seq.). A violation of this section, or a regulation promulgated
under this section, shall be considered to be a violation of the
Communications Act of 1934, or a regulation promulgated under such Act,
respectively.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal
Communications Commission.
(2) Overshoot.--The term ``overshoot'' means, with respect
to a wireless emergency alert, the percentage of the population
that receives such alert that is outside the target area for
such alert.
(3) Participating provider.--The term ``participating
provider'' means a provider of commercial mobile service (as
defined in section 332(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47
U.S.C. 332(d))) that elects under section 602(b) of the
Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act (47 U.S.C. 1201(b)) to
transmit emergency alerts.
(4) Reliability.--The term ``reliability'' means, with
respect to a wireless emergency alert, the percentage of the
population within the target area for such alert that
accurately receives such alert.
(5) Speed.--The term ``speed'' means, with respect to a
wireless emergency alert, the amount of time between when a
participating provider receives such alert and when such alert
is presented on a mobile device.
(6) Target area.--The term ``target area'' means the
geographic area designated by the originator of a wireless
emergency alert for the delivery of such alert.
(7) Wireless emergency alert.--The term ``wireless
emergency alert'' means an emergency alert transmitted by a
participating provider under the Warning, Alert, and Response
Network Act (47 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.).
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