Brief Description: Regarding the state interoperability executive committee.

Sponsors: By House Committee on Technology, Energy & Communications (originally sponsored by Representatives Ericks, Anderson, Morris, Haler, Crouse, Hankins, Nixon, Sump, P. Sullivan, Hudgins, Kilmer, Takko, Green, Sells, Clibborn, Simpson, Springer, Roberts, Ormsby, Morrell and McIntire).

House Committee on Technology, Energy & Communications
Senate Committee on Government Operations & Elections

Background:

In 2003, the Washington State Information Services Board established the State Interoperability Executive Committee (Committee) to take inventory of and evaluate all state and local government-owned public safety communications systems and to prepare a statewide public safety communications plan. The plan was to set forth recommendations for executive and legislative action to ensure that public safety communications systems can communicate with one another and conform to federal law and regulations governing emergency communication systems and spectrum allocation. The plan was to include specific goals for improving interoperability of public safety communications systems and identifiable benchmarks for achieving those goals.

In December of 2004, the Committee submitted its final report to the Legislature. In its report, the Committee found that the majority of public safety responders are not able to communicate effectively or directly with their federal, state, regional, local, or tribal counterparts. The Committee also found there is a lack of financial resources to support a vision of interoperability within the state.

In November of 2005, the Committee completed its Technical Implementation Plan (TIP). The TIP provides a high-level approach for planning the transition of the current agency-based public safety radio systems to a standards-based, frequency-independent, multiple subsystems technology architecture. A key component of the TIP is moving toward a statewide, Project 25 (P-25) technology. The P-25 is a communications interoperability standard supported and used by the federal government, numerous state governments, and by the communications industry. Many federal funding opportunities for advanced communications systems indicate a preference for P-25 compliant equipment.

After adopting the TIP, the Committee adopted a requirement that when state agencies purchase new communications equipment, it must be P-25 compatible.

Summary:

New responsibilities are outlined for the Committee. The Committee is charged with coordinating the purchasing of all state wireless radio communications system equipment to ensure that, at a minimum: (1) any new trunked standard, after the transition from a radio over internet protocol network, is P-25; (2) any new system that requires advanced digital features is P-25; and (3) any new system or equipment purchases are upgradeable to P-25 standards.

Votes on Final Passage:

House   93   2
Senate   42   0

Effective: June 7, 2006