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Minutes for HB2556 - Committee on Government, Technology and Security
Short Title
Establishing the statewide interoperability council.
Minutes Content for Mon, Jan 29, 2018
The Chair opened the hearing on HB2556 - Establishing the Statewide Interoperability Council.
Staff Kyle Hamilton reviewed the salient points of the bill (Attachment 7). He stated that the bill establishes the Council and outlines the Council's authority with the State Homeland Security Director as head of the Council; it also creates an administrative executive committee and four working groups. The Adjutant General's Office will be required to provide staff for the Council and working groups.
Ed Klumpp, Legislative Liaison, Kansas Sheriff's Association, testified as neutral; he commented that he supports the concept of the bill, but cannot support the details of the bill in its present form. He identified several areas of concern:
- The bill creates an organization with no administrative rules or regulations, authority or limitations on their authority.
- The phrase " pursue such other opportunities. . ." (page 2, line 4) opens the gate for exceeding its mandate. A similar granting of powers is expressed on page 1, line 16-17.
- The executive committee need a public-safety representative.
- Page 3, line 16, transfers authority from the Council to the Executive Committee without any oversight.
- A section needs to be added to limit the Council's authority regarding certification, training, and purchasing equipment by local governments.
Mr. Klumpp urged the Committee to move forward with the bill, but include his recommendations (Attachment 8).
Jonathan York, Response and Recovery Branch Director, Kansas Adjutant General's Office, reviewed the background of the bill; he said the Statewide Interoperability Executive Council (SIEC) originated as an executive order in December 2007; with the current expansion of technologies such as the deployment of FirstNet and NG911, an official structure is needed. He stated that the Adjutant General's Office has not thoroughly reviewed the bill and opposes it in its current form, but he expressed a willingness to work with the Committee to identify a path forward that will benefit emergency communications in the state (Attachment 9). The Chair requested additional language that the agency can support.
Robert McLemore, Chair, SIEC, testified in support of the bill while recognizing that changes should address other conferees' concerns (Attachment 10). He noted that the authority of the executive order has waned, and he emphasized the need to coordinate the operations of the different safety agencies and entities.
Mr. McLemore responded to members' questions:
- The bill is needed, but it needs further work. The recommendations of other conferees provide valuable input.
- Incompatible systems or regulatory barriers make it difficult to communicate with border states.
The Chair closed the hearing on HB2556.
