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Committee approves PCS to create governing body for statewide public-safety radio system
Summary
A proposed committee substitute (PCS) for House Bill 2710 to establish a governing council for a statewide radio system passed the House Public Safety Committee 9–0. The measure would create a 20‑member council under Homeland Security to help plan and coordinate interoperable radio infrastructure over coming years.
Chairman Ford presented a PCS for House Bill 2710 to create a governing structure for a statewide public‑safety radio system. "What this bill does is, it sets up a governing body so that we can have a, a for a statewide radio system," Ford said, explaining the board would position the state to plan and negotiate replacement of existing radios and infrastructure in the next three to five years.
Ford described a council of about 20 members representing a range of stakeholders — small and large police departments, sheriffs’ offices, Department of Public Safety (DPS), 9‑1‑1 centers and municipal organizations — and said the body would be placed to advise Homeland Security and support interoperable systems. Committee members asked whether participation would be mandatory for local agencies; Ford said it would be voluntary and that jurisdictions could still procure their own systems, but that a statewide infrastructure plan could reduce costs by building shared towers and repeaters.
After brief discussion the committee voted 9–0 to pass the PCS and the chair declared the bill passed out of committee. The sponsor and chair noted this was an early step to give the state a planning body so that, if the radio system requires replacement, the state will be in a better negotiating position when the procurement process begins.
