Mystic Alerts Act

The Mystic Alerts Act aims to enhance emergency alert dissemination by allowing commercial mobile service providers to voluntarily transmit alerts via satellite. Providers already participating in the Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act can choose to extend their emergency alert services to include satellite transmission, requiring them to notify the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of their decision. If a provider elects to transmit alerts by satellite, they must agree to comply with technical standards, protocols, and procedures established by the FCC. Conversely, providers choosing not to offer satellite alerts are required to inform both new and existing subscribers of this election. Furthermore, the bill ensures that subscribers who have opted out of receiving emergency alerts will also be prevented from receiving them via satellite. To facilitate this, the FCC is directed to publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking within six months to develop relevant technical standards, protocols, and interoperability requirements for satellite alerting capabilities. A final rule establishing these comprehensive standards must then be issued by the FCC within 12 months of the Act's enactment, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.