Public Safety

House Passes FirstNet Reauthorization Bill

The Senate will now have to take up the issue.

Jake Neenan

Apr 20, 2026 — 2 min read

Photo of Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Va., on Capitol Hill in 2023 by Alex Brandon/AP

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2026 – The House passed a bill Monday to reauthorize the First Responder Network Authority.

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 First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act was passed Monday afternoon by voice vote. Like last month when it cleared the House Commerce Committee, there were no votes against the bill.

Learn more about the Broadband Community...

Start Your Broadband Journey Here

Post tagged in

Public Safety FirstNet FirstNet Authority Jennifer McClellan Neal Dunn AT&T Mike Ferguson

FCC Grants RDOF Waiver to Wisper ISP

The order distinguished Wisper’s request from other program defaults.

Center for American Rights Calls ABC's The View 'a Partisan Megaphone for a Single Political Party'

Conservative group alleges an ABC station in Houston broke the law by not notifying all eligible political candidates of their right to equal time

Telephone's Rise Was Shaped by Courts and Lobbying, Not Just Wires, Historians Say

The patent Bell filed in 1876 never described a speaking telephone. His lawyers later argued it did.

FCC Drone Ruling Draws Industry Warning, Could Slow U.S. Aerial Development

The FCC's drone ruling, once aimed at China-based DJI, now covers all foreign components, and industry experts warn the broad scope may backfire on American drone dominance.