Committee reviews funding authorizations for statewide public-safety communications system

Committee staff reviewed proposed funding authorizations in section 12 of the draft emergency-response bill, outlining specific allocations and the conditions attached to release of reserve funds.

Tucker told the committee the draft authorizes $2.25 million for immediate costs tied to establishing a multi-disciplinary computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system and five years of software licensing, provided the Department of Public Safety issues RFPs and signs contracts on or before Jan. 1, 2027. He also described $190,000 for cyber-security and expanded rapid SOS/GIS integration and $4.5 million to be released incrementally over two years for land mobile radio network implementation and a statewide conceptual design.

Staff identified the proposal's provenance: the language traces to a memo from Deputy Commissioner Batesy, co-chair of the public-safety communications task force. Tucker noted a math/typographical error in the memo (it listed $2 million where the correct total should be $2.5 million when five years of fees are included) and said the corrected memo and a disclaimer will be posted.

Committee members discussed whether disbursement should be explicitly conditioned on the task force's advice to the Department of Public Safety; Tucker said the draft states the task force "shall meet as necessary to advise the department on executing the recommendations and final design plan" but making fund release contingent on the task force would be a more stringent requirement.

Staff signaled they will post the memo from Deputy Commissioner Batesy and prepare tightened language as the bill moves through money committees.