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A bipartisan bill that would deliver emergency alerts by satellite during disasters is headed to the full U.S. House after clearing a key committee vote this week.
Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, whose district includes much of the western Hill Country, spoke in support of the Mystic Alerts Act during a House Energy and Commerce Committee meeting this week.
"This legislation ensures that during natural disasters, Wireless Emergency Alerts can still be delivered via satellite when traditional networks go down or service is unavailable," Pfluger said.
The bipartisan bill would integrate satellite networks into the nation's wireless emergency alert system, allowing warnings to reach people even when cellular service is damaged, overwhelmed or unavailable.
Emergency alerts are currently delivered primarily through cellular networks. The legislation would add satellite networks as a backup during disasters and other emergencies.
The legislation was developed following the deadly July 4, 2025 floods that devastated parts of the Texas Hill Country. It is named for Camp Mystic, where 25 campers and two counselors were killed when floodwaters overwhelmed the camp along the Guadalupe River before dawn. The disaster prompted scrutiny of emergency warnings, communications and evacuation decisions in the hours before the flooding. Two of Pfluger's daughters were attending the camp at the time.
"As many of you know, this issue is very personal for me," Pfluger said during the committee meeting. "After the July 4 flooding that swept through Central Texas, including the all-girls Camp Mystic, where two of my daughters were attending, I knew Congress had to act to improve redundancy and reliability in the wireless emergency alert system."
Supporters say the added satellite capability could help close communication gaps during major disasters, particularly in rural areas where cellular coverage can be limited.
The legislation would also prohibit participating providers from charging users to receive emergency alerts delivered through satellite networks.
The bill has bipartisan support, including from Texas Democrats Lizzie Fletcher and Mark Veasey and Georgia Republican Buddy Carter, whose granddaughters were also attending Camp Mystic during the flood.
The Mystic Alerts Act passed unanimously out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and now advances to the full U.S. House for consideration.
