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Originally Published in the Ripon Advance on March 27, 2026.

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee on March 25 voted 52-0 to pass a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter (R-GA) and August Pfluger (R-TX) that would strengthen emergency alert systems, especially in rural or remote areas.

The Mystic Alerts Act, H.R. 7022, which Rep. Pfluger sponsored on Jan. 12 alongside three original cosponsors, including Rep. Carter and U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), is named for Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls established in 1926. Catastrophic floods in Texas on July 4, 2025 killed 25 campers and two counselors at the camp, which did not have a specialized emergency alert system in place.

“My granddaughters were staying at Camp Mystic when the devastating floods claimed the lives of many young girls, including their cousin, Janie Hunt,” said Rep. Carter. “Camp should be a place of joy, adventure, and lasting memories. But for these girls, the trauma they experienced will stay with them forever.”

H.R. 7022, which now heads to the full House for a vote, would integrate satellite networks into wireless emergency alert processes so that emergency alerts would be sent via satellite.

“When disaster strikes, communication infrastructure is often the first thing to fail, especially in rural areas. After the devastating floods of July 4 in central and west Texas, we must ensure every American receives life-saving emergency alerts when it matters most,” Rep. Pfluger said Wednesday. “I’m grateful the Mystic Alerts Act passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee today with unanimous, bipartisan support.”

The proposed bill also calls for the the Federal Communications Commission to publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking within six months after the bill’s enactment to establish relevant technical standards, protocols, procedures, interoperability requirements, and other technical requirements necessary to enable satellite alerting capability for providers of commercial mobile service that voluntarily elect to transmit emergency alerts, including standards for training such providers on enabling such capability, according to the bill’s text.

“Like Rep. Pfluger, this issue is deeply personal to my family, and I look forward to our continued work to pass the Mystic Alerts Act so that no child or family has to endure a tragedy like this again,” Rep. Carter added.