Public Safety Communications Transfer
Currently, the chief information officer in the office of information technology exercises the powers, duties, and functions related to public safety telecommunications coordination within state government (public safety communications). On July 1, 2022 July 1, 2023 , the bill transfers these powers, duties, and functions to the department of public safety (department). The transferred powers, duties, and functions are allocated to the division of homeland security and emergency management (division) in the department. In addition, the bill transfers employees, property, and policies of the office of information technology related to public safety communications to the division.
The bill creates the office of public safety communications in the division (office) and creates the director of the office. The bill also creates the public safety communications revolving fund (revolving fund). The money in the revolving fund is continuously appropriated to the office to pay the direct and indirect costs, including personal services and operating costs, associated with administering public safety communications.
The office is required to develop a method for billing users of the office's services the full cost of the services. The billing method is required to be implemented on or before July 1, 2023. Revenue generated from such billing is credited to the revolving fund.
The office is authorized to seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, donations, and bequests from private or public sources for the direct and indirect costs associated with administering public safety communications.
The bill relocates the existing state public safety communications network in the office and specifies the duties and responsibilities of the director of the office that were formerly the duties and responsibilities of the chief information officer of the office of information technology. The duties and responsibilities include:
- Formulating recommendations for a current and long-range public safety communications plan and administering the plan;
- Reviewing all existing and future state-owned public safety communications applications, planning, networks, systems, programs, equipment, and facilities and establishing priorities for those applications;
- Approving the acquisition of public safety communications equipment by any state entity;
- Establishing and enforcing public safety communications policies, procedures, standards, and records for management of public safety communications networks and facilities for all state entities;
- Reviewing, assessing, and ensuring compliance with federal and state public safety communications regulations pertaining to the needs and functions of state entities;
- Advising the governor and general assembly on public safety communications matters;
- Administering the public safety communications trust fund;
- Adopting recommended standards for the replacement of analog-based radio equipment with digital-based radio equipment for purposes of dispatching and related functions within the department of public safety; and
- For purposes of serving the radio communications needs of state departments, adopting standards and policies and setting a recommended timetable for the replacement of existing radio public safety communications equipment with a system that satisfies the requirements of the federal communications commission public safety national plan.
The director of the office may enter into contracts, formerly entered into by the chief information officer, with specified public entities and may act as a public safety communications network provider to provide public safety radio communications between or among 2 or more counties or state agencies.
The bill specifies when users of public safety radio systems, including public entities and privately owned businesses, will be charged fees for the service, including the cost of material, labor, and overhead.
The executive director of the department is required to exercise the powers, duties, and functions regarding the existing tactical and long-term interoperable communications plan to improve the ability of the public safety agencies of state government to communicate with public safety agencies of the federal government, regions, local governments, and other states. The director of the office is required to update and revise the tactical and long-term interoperable communications plan at least once every 3 years.
The bill relocates the existing public safety communications trust fund, specifies the sources of money in the trust fund, and specifies the purposes for which money in the trust fund must be used.
(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)