Duckworth, Blackburn Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Emergency Communication Technology That Could Help Saves Lives

Duckworth, Blackburn Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Emergency Communication Technology That Could Help Saves Lives

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, reintroduced legislation to improve emergency communication technology that could help save lives. The ITS Codification Act would codify the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS), which currently serves as the research and engineering laboratory at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and require ITS to develop emergency communication and tracking technologies to help locate trapped individuals in confined spaces where conventional radio communication is limited.

"When people are in crisis and find themselves trapped in confined spaces, how quickly our first responders are able to conduct search and rescue often depends on these workers' access to modern, reliable technology to save precious time," said Duckworth. "Our bipartisan legislation would codify the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and require ITS to develop emergency communication and tracking technology to help save lives."

"First responders in Tennessee need access to reliable technology that will help them locate trapped individuals in confined spaces where radio signals fail," said Blackburn. "Our bipartisan ITS Codification Act would drive the development of advanced communication technologies to help first responders save more lives when every second counts."

This legislation comes at a time when Illinois leads the United States in the most tornado reports so far in 2026. The bill would help expedite recovery efforts for those impacted by events such as tornadoes, who may get trapped in rubble left from fallen buildings. The technology provided by the ITS Codification Act would help locate tornado victims, along with other victims of natural disasters, or crises.

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