Senate panel advances bill to improve disaster search and rescue technology

Bipartisan legislation aimed at improving emergency communications and helping first responders locate people trapped in disaster zones has advanced out of a U.S. Senate committee, bringing the proposal one step closer to a full Senate vote. 

The ITS Codification Act, sponsored by Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., would formalize the role of the Institute for Telecommunications Sciences, a research engineering laboratory within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and direct it to support the development of emergency communication and tracking technologies that can locate people in places where radio signals are limited. 

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee advanced the legislation last month. The bill now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

“When people are in crisis and find themselves trapped in confined spaces, how quickly our first responders are able to conduct search and rescue often depends on these workers’ access to modern, reliable technology to save precious time,” Duckworth said in a statement. “Now that our bipartisan legislation has passed committee, the Senate must pass it swiftly so we can help ensure our first responders have the technology they need to save lives.”

Walls, curves, metal surfaces and narrow passages, the structural features of confined spaces — like tunnels or underground areas — can often block or distort sound waves. Emergency tracking and communication technology that can bypass these physical barriers could be particularly useful after tornadoes, earthquakes, floods and other disasters that leave people buried beneath collapsed structures. 

Under the bill, the institute would work with federal agencies and private-sector partners to assess emergency communications needs and identify technical requirements for improved tracking systems. The legislation also calls for a report to Congress outlining those needs and specifications within 18 months.

The federal proposal comes amid broader efforts to modernize the emergency communications infrastructure nationwide. State and local governments have been upgrading their 911 systems in recent years to handle digital information and improve the reliability of emergency calls. The transition to next-generation 911, which is underway in dozens of states across the country, can support more resilient networks and the exchange of additional information beyond traditional voice calls, such as text messaging, photos and video. 

But those upgrades also present implementation challenges. California, for example, paused aspects of its NG911 rollout in 2025 to review the system’s application and plan future methods of deployment. 

Sen. Blackburn said the ITS Codification Act would also strengthen research into spectrum sharing, which allows multiple users to access the same radio frequency bands without causing harmful interference, prioritizing first responders’ access to reliable communications technology.

The bill would itself not deploy a nationwide tracking system. Instead, it would establish a federal research framework to help develop and evaluate technologies that could eventually support search and rescue operations. 

“America’s leadership in wireless technology depends on making the most efficient use of our spectrum resources,” Blackburn said in a statement. “The [measure] will strengthen the research and engineering capabilities that help us identify new opportunities for spectrum sharing, support commercial innovation, and protect critical federal missions.”

The legislation is also part of national efforts to ensure people can receive critical information and warnings during disasters.

Another piece of federal legislation, the Mystic Alerts Act, which passed both the U.S. Senate and House unanimously, would create a framework for delivering Wireless Emergency Alerts over satellite networks. The bill is named after the devastating 2025 floods in the Texas Hill Country that killed 28 individuals at Camp Mystic in addition to more than 100 other individuals across Central Texas. In the aftermath, there were reports of undelivered emergency alerts throughout the impacted areas once cellular infrastructure was damaged.

By sending alerts using non-terrestrial infrastructure, the legislation aims to help state and local emergency managers reach people in areas where cell towers are damaged, networks are overwhelmed or traditional coverage is unavailable. The bill is currently awaiting President Donald Trump’s signature to become law.