BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 828|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 828
Author: Senate Governmental Organization Committee
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 21
SENATE GOVERNMENTAL ORG. COMMITTEE : 12-0, 4/28/09
AYES: Wright, Harman, Benoit, Calderon, Denham, Florez,
Negrete McLeod, Oropeza, Padilla, Wiggins, Wyland, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Vacancy
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Public safety communication
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill makes various minor, technical and
nonsubstantive changes to the Public Safety Communications
Act of 2002.
ANALYSIS : Existing law establishes in state government
the Public Safety Radio Strategic Planning Committee
(PSRSPC), a multimember body with representatives of
specified state agencies, with duties that include
developing and implementing a statewide integrated public
safety communication system that facilitates
interoperability among state public safety departments and
other first response agencies.
Existing law requires PSRSPC to meet at least twice a year,
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of which one meeting shall be a joint meeting with
California Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee
(CALSIEC).
This bill recognizes CALSIEC in state law, renames the
PSRSPC the Public Safety Emergency Communications Strategic
Planning Committee, replaces outdated references to the
former Office of Emergency Services (OES) and the former
Office of Homeland Security (OHS) with a reference to the
newly formed California Emergency Management Agency
(CalEMA), and, makes other technical, nonsubstantive
changes.
Background
CALSIEC was established administratively by OES in 2003 in
response to a Federal Communications Commission
recommendation that each state establish a "statewide
interoperability executive committee" to manage the entire
federally-designated interoperability spectrum in the
state. CALSIEC is one of the two committees (the other is
PSRSPC) in state government charged with developing a
statewide interoperable communications network. CALSIEC's
strength is in its charter, to work vertically with all
first response agencies at all levels of government
(federal, state, local and tribal) whereas PSRSPC's
emphasis is to work horizontally with state-level first
response agencies. This bill formally recognizes CALSIEC
in law to clearly identify the committees in California
that are responsible for developing a statewide
interoperable communications network.
Radio communications are mission critical to emergency
response. However, other technologies are emerging that
will be of benefit to public safety departments in
responding to emergencies. Changing the name of the Public
Safety Radio Strategic Planning Committee to the Public
Safety Emergency Communications Strategic Planning
Committee will reflect the need to consider all types of
communications systems to assist public safety departments
in responding to emergencies, not just radio. In fact,
Government Code Section 8592.6 (b)(1) of the Public Safety
Communications Act of 2002 was amended in 2006 to recognize
"data formats" as possible solutions for enhancing
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interoperable communications.
Replaces references in the law to the former OES and the
former OHS with a reference to the CalEMA. AB 38 (Nava),
Chapter 372, Statutes of 2008, merged OES and OHS into the
newly formed CalEMA. This bill corrects references in the
Public Safety Communications Act of 2002 to reflect the
merger.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
TSM:do 5/12/2009 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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