Making National Parks Safer Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7031 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7031

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to upgrade existing emergency 
  communications centers in units of the National Park System to Next 
           Generation 9-1-1 systems, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 13, 2026

 Mr. Fulcher introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to upgrade existing emergency 
  communications centers in units of the National Park System to Next 
           Generation 9-1-1 systems, 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 ``Making National Parks Safer Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
                of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
                of Representatives.
            (2) Emergency communications center.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``emergency 
                communications center'' means--
                            (i) a facility that--
                                    (I) is designated to receive a 9-1-
                                1 request for emergency assistance; and
                                    (II) performs 1 or more of the 
                                functions described in subparagraph 
                                (B); or
                            (ii) a public safety answering point (as 
                        defined in section 222 of the Communications 
                        Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 222)).
                    (B) Functions described.--The functions described 
                in this subparagraph are the following:
                            (i) Processing and analyzing 9-1-1 requests 
                        for emergency assistance and information and 
                        data related to the requests.
                            (ii) Dispatching appropriate emergency 
                        response providers.
                            (iii) Transferring or exchanging 9-1-1 
                        requests for emergency assistance and 
                        information and data related to the requests 
                        with 1 or more other emergency communications 
                        centers and emergency response providers.
                            (iv) Analyzing any communications received 
                        from emergency response providers.
                            (v) Supporting incident command functions.
            (3) Interoperability.--The term ``interoperability'' means 
        the capability of emergency communications centers--
                    (A) to receive 9-1-1 requests for emergency 
                assistance and information and data related to the 
                requests, such as location information and callback 
                numbers from a person initiating the request; and
                    (B) to process and share 9-1-1 requests for 
                emergency assistance and information and data related 
                to the requests with other emergency communications 
                centers and emergency response providers without the 
                need for proprietary interfaces and regardless of 
                jurisdiction, equipment, device, software, service 
                provider, or other relevant factors.
            (4) Next generation 9-1-1 system.--The term ``Next 
        Generation 9-1-1 system'' has the meaning given the term ``Next 
        Generation 911'' in section 9.28 of title 47, Code of Federal 
        Regulations (or a successor regulation).
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
        Park Service.

SEC. 3. ASSESSMENT OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS LOCATED IN UNITS 
              OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall complete an assessment of emergency 
communications centers located in units of the National Park System to 
identify--
            (1) the implementation status of Next Generation 9-1-1 
        systems at existing emergency communications centers in units 
        of the National Park System;
            (2) estimated costs to purchase Next Generation 9-1-1 
        systems for emergency communications centers in units of the 
        National Park System that have not begun to implement Next 
        Generation 9-1-1 systems; and
            (3) estimated costs to maintain and operate Next Generation 
        9-1-1 systems across all emergency communications centers in 
        units of the National Park System.
    (b) Report.--On completion of the assessment under subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress, 
and make available on the website of the Department of the Interior, a 
report--
            (1) describing the results of the assessment; and
            (2) identifying issues that may affect the implementation 
        of Next Generation 9-1-1 systems across all emergency 
        communications centers in units of the National Park System, 
        including--
                    (A) jurisdictional issues;
                    (B) technological issues;
                    (C) issues relating to relevant authorities; and
                    (D) issues relating to legal agreements.

SEC. 4. PLAN TO INSTALL NEXT GENERATION 9-1-1 SYSTEMS IN UNITS OF THE 
              NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which the 
report under section 3(b) is submitted, the Secretary shall develop a 
plan, based on the results of the assessment completed under section 
3(a) and subject to subsection (c), to install Next Generation 9-1-1 
systems at identified emergency communications centers in units of the 
National Park System.
    (b) Consultation.--In developing the plan under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall consult with--
            (1) State and local emergency operations officials to 
        ensure interoperability of the Next Generation 9-1-1 systems;
            (2) State and local stakeholders that the superintendent of 
        the applicable unit of the National Park System determines to 
        be appropriate; and
            (3) relevant Federal agencies, including--
                    (A) the Department of Commerce;
                    (B) the Department of Transportation; and
                    (C) the Federal Communications Commission.
    (c) Limitation.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), a plan developed 
under that subsection shall not be required to address emergency 
communications centers in any unit of the National Park System at which 
the superintendent of the unit of the National Park System determines 
that sufficient Next Generation 9-1-1 systems have already been 
installed or are being installed, as applicable.
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