Sen. Cruz Applauds Senate Passage of Legislation to Strengthen Emergency Alerts During Disasters

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, issued the following statement after Senate passage of the bipartisan Mystic Alerts Act . This legislation allows wireless emergency alerts (WEAs) to be delivered via satellite communications technologies when traditional cellular networks are unavailable during emergencies. After passing the Senate unanimously, the legislation now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature. Sen. Cruz said, “The catastrophic 2025 Fourth of July floods devastated families and communities across Texas. When disaster strikes, every second matters. Americans should be able to trust that critical, life-saving alerts will reach them when and where they most need them. That is exactly what the MYSTIC Alerts Act will do. I was proud to join this legislation and, as Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, advance it through committee and support its passage by the Senate. I applaud Representative Pfluger for his leadership on this critical legislation. I look forward to the MYSTIC Alerts Act being signed into law.” Read the bill text here . BACKGROUND: Sen. Cruz advanced the legislation through the Senate Commerce Committee in September . U.S. Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas-11) led the legislation in the House of Representatives. On July 4, 2025, devastating floods in the Texas Hill Country killed 28 individuals at Camp Mystic in Kerrville and more than 100 others across Central Texas. There were multiple reports of undelivered wireless emergency alerts in areas impacted by the disaster after cellular infrastructure was damaged. The Mystic Alerts Act will: Allow cellular companies to partner with satellite communications providers to deliver wireless emergency alerts during emergencies; Direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish rules and policies to preserve the effectiveness of wireless emergency alert infrastructure while integrating satellite communications; Create a new communications pathway to enable the delivery of emergency alerts in areas where other infrastructure has been destroyed or taken offline. In July 2025, Sen. Cruz introduced the bipartisan NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act , which would modernize NOAA Weather Radio and improve emergency communications in areas with little or no cellular service.