Brief Description: Concerning public safety communications.

Sponsors: Representatives Ericks, Haler, Morris, Nixon, Sump, Crouse, Wallace, P. Sullivan, Hudgins, Takko, Sells, Simpson, Hasegawa, Green and Morrell.

Hearing Date: 1/31/06

Staff: Kara Durbin (786-7133).

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 as required by statute. 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 their 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 towards a statewide, Project 25 (P-25) technology. P-25 is a communications interoperability standard supported and used by the federal government, numerous state governments, and by the communications industry. After formally adopting the TIP, the Committee adopted a requirement that when agencies purchase new communications equipment, it must be P-25 compatible.

The TIP recommends system implementation over a six-year period, starting with a one-year planning and procurement phase that includes developing detailed technical specifications and selecting and procuring the system technical components. The cost of the proposed system is estimated at approximately $257 million over the six-year implementation period. Proposed system recurring operation and maintenance costs are estimated at $177 million over the projected ten-year life cycle of the technology. The total estimated cost of acquisition, operation, and maintenance of the proposed system is $435 million.

Summary of Bill:

A statewide public safety communications system must be built by June 30, 2012. This system must have the following components:

• a centrally managed system of system architectures that will be able to facilitate the sharing of assets between state and local governments;
• the ability for non-state agencies will be able to interconnect their radio systems with the state's radio over internet protocol-based interoperability system;
• a mutual-aid communications system that will be deployed across the state to enable interoperability across the commonly used public safety frequency bands;
• a statewide, P-25 standards-based, frequency independent system that will be in place that uses equipment common to all agency-focused systems
• a statewide mobile data system will be in place that provides low and medium speed data communications capabilities for participating subscribers.

The State Interoperability Executive Committee must report annually to the Legislature and the Office of Financial Management on the design, accomplishments, and remaining tasks, as well as recommendations, by September 1 of each year.

The development, operation, maintenance, and administration of a shared public safety communications system will use funds from the Data Processing Revolving Fund in the state treasury.

This bill will be implemented to the extent that sufficient funds are available from state, federal, and local sources.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 27, 2006.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.