House Commerce Committee Clears FirstNet Reauthorization Bill

WASHINGTON, March 25, 2026 – The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced a bill Wednesday to reauthorize the agency tasked with managing a nationwide first responder network.

The FirstNet Authority oversees FirstNet, the nationwide first responder network owned and operated by AT&T under a contract with the Commerce Department. The FirstNet Authority will sunset in February 2027 unless Congress reauthorizes it, something that users and lawmakers broadly agree would be disruptive.

The bill included some revisions from a draft put forward in January, the product of negotiations aimed at getting some reticent law enforcement groups on board. The committee touted support from more than a dozen public safety groups, but some were still opposed to more Commerce Department oversight of the FirstNet Authority.

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