WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed legislation Thursday that allows commercial mobile service providers to transmit wireless emergency alerts via satellite, aiming to reach people in rural areas when traditional cell networks fail during disasters.
The Mystic Alerts Act, sponsored by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, requires the Federal Communications Commission to establish technical standards and other regulations enabling the transmissions. Providers that already participate in the wireless emergency alert system must notify the FCC whether they will send alerts by satellite in addition to terrestrial networks, according to the bill.
Participation is voluntary, providers that opt in must comply with the rules, and subscribers may opt out of receiving satellite alerts. No additional fees may be charged for the capability. The measure was prompted by the July 4, 2025, floods in Central Texas that killed more than 130 people, including many at Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County. Cellular infrastructure was damaged in the disaster, and reports indicated that many residents did not receive Wireless Emergency Alerts.
“I am grateful that President Trump signed the Mystic Alerts Act into law today,” Pfluger said in a statement. “After the devastating July 4th floods, it was clear that families in rural communities can’t be left in the dark when cell networks go down. By bringing satellite technology into our emergency alert system, we’re making sure warnings reach people when they need them most.”
He thanked Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, for championing the bill in the Senate and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, for advancing it.
The legislation passed the House by voice vote in April and the Senate by unanimous consent in September before being presented to the president on Oct. 15. House co-sponsors included Reps. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Texas, Buddy Carter, R-Ga., and Marc Veasey, D-Texas. The Senate companion was led by Cornyn and Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga.
Under the law, the FCC must publish a notice of proposed rulemaking within six months of enactment and issue a final rule within 18 months, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The rule’s effective date is the later of 36 months after publication in the Federal Register or 12 months after DHS and FEMA implement supporting standards. Covered providers must then file an election with the FCC within 60 days.
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