Congressman Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Richard Hudson, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, have announced an upcoming hearing titled "Evaluating FirstNet: Performance, Accountability, and Reauthorization." The session is scheduled for February 4, 2026, at 10:15 a.m. ET in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
The hearing will focus on reauthorizing FirstNet through the proposed First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act. Representatives Dunn and McClellan are leading this bill. The event will be open to both the public and press and can also be viewed online at energycommerce.house.gov.
FirstNet was created following a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission to strengthen emergency communications infrastructure for first responders. Chairmen Guthrie and Hudson stated, “Starting out as a 9/11 Commission recommendation to strengthen emergency communications infrastructure, FirstNet has been a critical resource for first responders operating in moments of crisis. As we continue to prepare for future man-made or natural disasters, FirstNet must remain on the leading edge of safety and reliability. We believe this reauthorization is a critical opportunity to increase transparency and effectiveness, so the program can fully achieve the intended goals that were originally conceived of two decades ago.”
The House Energy and Commerce Committee oversees matters related to telecommunications such as broadband expansion as well as other areas like energy policy, health care reform, environmental protection initiatives, consumer issues, and oversight of federal agencies including the Department of Energy (https://energycommerce.house.gov/). Established in 1795 as one of Congress’s oldest standing committees (https://energycommerce.house.gov/), it continues to shape bipartisan policies concerning technology infrastructure and public health.
Questions about the hearing can be directed to Noah Jackson by email at Noah.Jackson@mail.house.gov. Press inquiries should go to Daniel Kelly at Daniel.Kelly@mail.house.gov.
