Press Release 5/27/16

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) applauded the introduction of the Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act – or the SANDy Act- in the Senate by U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Charles Schumer (D-NY). Earlier this week the SANDy Act passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 389-2. Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, introduced the legislation last year to help ensure the resiliency of the nation’s communications networks during emergencies.

“I want to thank Senators Cantwell, Booker and Schumer for their leadership in introducing the SANDy Act and taking another step towards helping first responders, businesses and private citizens communicate during disasters,” said Pallone. “In New Jersey, we learned firsthand during Hurricane Sandy the importance of communications during an emergency. We must do everything we can to be better prepared for the next time disaster strikes”

The SANDy act would make sure all communication providers—radio, TV, and phone—can fix outages faster, even across state lines. It would also begin a process to provide 911 services over Wi-Fi hotspots during emergencies. Pallone spoke on the House floor urging passage of the bill this week.