Making National Parks Safer Act
Key claim: The Making National Parks Safer Act directs the National Park Service to assess costs and implementation status of Next Generation 911 systems at park emergency communications centers and to develop an installation plan based on that assessment.
Abstract
(S290 · 119th Congress) Making National Parks Safer Act This bill directs the National Park Service (NPS) to develop a plan to install Next Generation 911 (NG911) systems, which are certain interoperable, digital, and secure Internet Protocol-based systems for receiving 9-1-1 calls. Specifically, the NPS must assess the implementation status and estimated costs of such NG911 systems at existing emergency communications centers in NPS units. The NPS must also develop a plan, based on the assessment, to install NG911 systems at centers. Latest action (2026-07-23): Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 469.
Why this matters
NG911 modernization in the U.S. has proceeded through a patchwork of state, tribal, and federal efforts, and emergency communications centers on federal lands are often overlooked in that mix. Requiring the National Park Service to inventory NG911 status and plan installations closes a coverage gap for visitors and rangers in remote areas, and creates a federal-agency counterpart to the NTIA grant program and FCC interoperability rulemaking.