House File 33HOUSE FILE BY BERRY, KRESSIG, and KELLEY Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to public safety communications by establishing 2 an Iowa statewide interoperable radio system board. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1712HH 82 5 rn/es/88 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 80.28 STATEWIDE INTEROPERABLE 1 2 RADIO SYSTEM BOARD == ESTABLISHED == MEMBERS. 1 3 1. A statewide interoperable radio system board is 1 4 established, under the joint purview of the department and the 1 5 state department of transportation. The board shall develop, 1 6 implement, and oversee policy, operations, and fiscal 1 7 components of communications interoperability efforts at the 1 8 state and local level, and coordinate with similar efforts at 1 9 the federal level, with the ultimate objective of developing 1 10 and overseeing the operation of a statewide integrated public 1 11 safety communications interoperability system. For the 1 12 purposes of this section and section 80.29, "interoperability" 1 13 means the ability of public safety and public services 1 14 personnel to communicate and to share data on an immediate 1 15 basis, on demand, when needed, and when authorized. 1 16 2. The board shall consist of fifteen voting members, as 1 17 follows: 1 18 a. The following members representing state agencies: 1 19 (1) One member representing the department of public 1 20 safety, who shall serve as chairperson. 1 21 (2) One member representing the state department of 1 22 transportation, who shall serve as vice chairperson. 1 23 (3) One member representing the homeland security and 1 24 emergency management division. 1 25 (4) One member representing the department of corrections. 1 26 (5) One member representing the department of natural 1 27 resources. 1 28 (6) One member representing the Iowa department of public 1 29 health. 1 30 b. The following members, to be appointed by the governor: 1 31 (1) Two members who are chiefs of police. 1 32 (2) Two members who are sheriffs. 1 33 (3) Two members who are fire chiefs. 1 34 (4) Two law communication center managers employed by 1 35 state or local government agencies. 2 1 (5) One at=large member. 2 2 3. Board members shall be appointed in compliance with 2 3 sections 69.16 and 69.16A. The members appointed by the 2 4 governor shall be appointed to three=year staggered terms and 2 5 the terms shall commence and end as provided by section 69.19. 2 6 If a vacancy occurs, a successor shall be appointed to serve 2 7 the unexpired term. A successor shall be appointed in the 2 8 same manner and subject to the same qualifications as the 2 9 original appointment to serve the unexpired term. Members of 2 10 the board are entitled to receive reimbursement for actual 2 11 expenses incurred while engaged in the performance of official 2 12 duties from funds appropriated to the department of public 2 13 safety and the state department of transportation for that 2 14 purpose. The departments shall enter into an agreement to 2 15 provide administrative assistance and support to the board. 2 16 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 80.29 BOARD DUTIES. 2 17 The statewide interoperable radio system board established 2 18 in section 80.28 shall: 2 19 1. Implement and maintain organizational and operational 2 20 elements of the board, including staffing and program 2 21 activity. 2 22 2. Review and monitor communications interoperability 2 23 performance and service levels on behalf of agencies. 2 24 3. Establish, monitor, and maintain appropriate policies 2 25 and protocols to ensure that interoperable communications 2 26 systems function properly. 2 27 4. Allocate and oversee state appropriations or other 2 28 funding received for interoperable communications. 2 29 5. Identify sources for ongoing, sustainable, longer=term 2 30 funding for communications interoperability projects, 2 31 including available and future assets that will leverage 2 32 resources and provide incentives for communications 2 33 interoperability participation, and develop and obtain 2 34 adequate funding in accordance with a communications 2 35 interoperability sustainability plan. 3 1 6. Develop and evaluate potential legislative solutions to 3 2 address the funding and resource challenges of implementing 3 3 statewide communications interoperability initiatives. 3 4 7. Develop a statewide integrated public safety 3 5 communications interoperability system that allows for shared 3 6 communications systems and costs, takes into account 3 7 infrastructure needs and requirements, improves reliability, 3 8 and addresses liability concerns of the shared network. 3 9 8. Investigate data and video interoperability systems. 3 10 9. Expand, maintain, and fund consistent, periodic 3 11 training programs for current communications systems and for 3 12 the statewide integrated public safety communications 3 13 interoperability system as it is implemented. 3 14 10. Expand, maintain, and fund stakeholder education, 3 15 public education, and public official education programs to 3 16 demonstrate the value of short=term communications 3 17 interoperability solutions, and to emphasize the importance of 3 18 developing and funding long=term solutions, including 3 19 implementation of the statewide integrated public safety 3 20 communications interoperability system. 3 21 11. Identify, promote, and provide incentives for 3 22 appropriate collaborations and partnerships among government 3 23 entities, agencies, businesses, organizations, and 3 24 associations, both public and private, relating to 3 25 communications interoperability. 3 26 12. Provide incentives to support maintenance and 3 27 expansion of regional efforts to promote implementation of the 3 28 statewide integrated public safety communications 3 29 interoperability system. 3 30 13. Submit a report by January 1, annually, to the members 3 31 of the general assembly regarding communications 3 32 interoperability efforts, activities, and effectiveness at the 3 33 local and regional level, and shall include a status report 3 34 regarding the development of a statewide integrated public 3 35 safety communications interoperability system, and funding 4 1 requirements relating thereto. 4 2 EXPLANATION 4 3 This bill concerns public safety communications and 4 4 enhancement of statewide communications interoperability 4 5 efforts. 4 6 The bill establishes a statewide interoperable radio system 4 7 board, under the joint purview of the department of public 4 8 safety and the state department of transportation. The bill 4 9 specifies that the board shall develop, implement, and oversee 4 10 policy, operations, and fiscal components of communications 4 11 interoperability efforts at the state and local level, 4 12 coordinate with similar efforts at the federal level, and 4 13 ultimately develop and oversee the operation of a statewide 4 14 integrated public safety communications interoperability 4 15 system. The bill defines "interoperability" as the ability of 4 16 public safety and public services personnel to communicate and 4 17 to share data on an immediate basis, on demand, when needed, 4 18 and when authorized. 4 19 The bill identifies 15 members of the board, all voting 4 20 members, and states that members not affiliated with or 4 21 representing a state agency shall be appointed by the 4 22 governor. 4 23 The bill includes provisions relating to the appointment of 4 24 members, terms of service, and vacancies. The bill states 4 25 that members shall receive reimbursement for actual expenses 4 26 incurred while engaged in the performance of official duties 4 27 from funds appropriated to the departments for that purpose, 4 28 and that the departments shall enter into an agreement to 4 29 provide administrative assistance and support to the board. 4 30 Regarding the duties of the board, the bill provides that 4 31 the board shall implement and maintain organizational and 4 32 operational elements of the board; review and monitor 4 33 communications interoperability performance and service levels 4 34 on behalf of participating agencies; establish, monitor, and 4 35 maintain appropriate policies and protocols to ensure that 5 1 interoperable communications systems function properly; 5 2 allocate and oversee state appropriations or other funding 5 3 received; identify longer=term funding sources for 5 4 communications interoperability projects, including assets 5 5 that will leverage resources and provide incentives for 5 6 communications interoperability participation; and develop and 5 7 obtain adequate funding in accordance with a communications 5 8 interoperability sustainability plan. The board shall, 5 9 additionally, develop a statewide integrated public safety 5 10 communications interoperability system that allows for shared 5 11 communications systems and costs, takes into account 5 12 infrastructure needs and requirements, improves reliability, 5 13 and addresses liability concerns of the shared network; 5 14 identify legislative solutions which could provide assistance 5 15 to the enhancement of communications interoperability; 5 16 investigate data and video interoperability systems, and 5 17 expand, maintain, and fund training programs relating to 5 18 current and long=term communications interoperability efforts. 5 19 Further, the board is directed to identify, promote, and 5 20 provide incentives for appropriate collaborations and 5 21 partnerships relating to communications interoperability and 5 22 to provide incentives to support maintenance and expansion of 5 23 regional efforts to promote implementation of the integrated 5 24 statewide public safety communications interoperability 5 25 system. 5 26 The bill provides that the board shall submit a report by 5 27 January 1, annually, to the members of the general assembly 5 28 regarding communications interoperability efforts, activities, 5 29 and effectiveness at the local and regional level. The report 5 30 is to include the status of efforts to develop the statewide 5 31 integrated public safety communications interoperability 5 32 system and funding requirements. 5 33 LSB 1712HH 82 5 34 rn:nh/es/88