HBA-SEP H.B. 3380 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3380
By: King, Phil
State Affairs
3/28/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The state, local county authorities, and municipalities ensure the delivery
and coordination of critical government services through the use of two-way
radio communications.  The equipment currently in use is outdated,
expensive to maintain, requires duplication of infrastructure, and is not
coordinated to permit multi-agency communications.   

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has recently set aside new 700
MHZ radio channels, the largest single block of spectrum ever allocated to
public safety, to be utilized in the development of new, shared statewide
radio communications networks.  FCC rules require Texas to apply for these
channels no later than December 31, 2001 or the channels will be reassigned
to other applicants.  Though not expected to begin until 2006, a transition
to a new statewide radio system would require the purchase of new radio
equipment that is incompatible with radio equipment currently being
purchased by the state today.  It may be economically prudent to require
that radio and wireless communications purchases made on an interim basis,
before a final decision regarding the implementation of a statewide system,
be made in a manner that will minimize expenditures until state agencies
operate in a shared frequency band.   

House Bill 3380  prohibits the General Services Commission and each state
agency from acquiring any wireless communications equipment that
incorporates a single American National Standards Institute standardized
digital protocol until such time as all state agencies utilizing two-way
radio wireless communications equipment operate within the same frequency
band.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 3380 amends the Government Code to prohibit the General Services
Commission and each state agency from acquiring any wireless communications
equipment that incorporates a single American National Standards Institute
standardized digital protocol until such time as all state agencies
utilizing twoway radio wireless communications equipment operate within the
same frequency band.   

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.