Montana HJ57: Study resolution examining the effects of public safety communications on extreme weather responses

What the bill says

A joint resolution of the senate and the house of representatives of the state of montana requesting an interim study to review the statewide public safety communications system act; examining how the statewide public safety communications system act impacts responses to extreme weather events and natural disasters; examining the functionality, sustainability, and future needs of the statewide public safety communications system; and requiring that the final results of the study be reported ot the 70th legislature.

From the engrossed text:

A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA REQUESTING AN INTERIM STUDY TO REVIEW THE STATEWIDE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM ACT; EXAMINING HOW THE STATEWIDE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM ACT IMPACTS RESPONSES TO EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS AND NATURAL DISASTERS; EXAMINING THE FUNCTIONALITY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND FUTURE NEEDS OF THE STATEWIDE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM; AND REQUIRING THAT THE FINAL RESULTS OF THE STUDY BE REPORTED OT THE 70TH LEGISLATURE. WHEREAS, wildfires, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters have highlighted communication challenges for first responders and the paramount importance of having a reliable, interoperable radio communications system for public safety in Montana for both urban, in-building coverage and rural and forested area coverage; and WHEREAS, Interoperability Montana was an effort created in 2005 to design and build a statewide interoperable radio communications system with a goal of improving and expanding interoperable communications throughout the state but was disbanded in 2011 because the project lacked a statutory basis; and WHEREAS, in 2017, the 65th Montana Legislature recognized these challenges and enacted the Statewide Public Safety Communications System Act through House Bill 604, codifying the policy of the state to promote and encourage coordination, efficient planning, cost-effective deployment, and sustainability of public safety communications technology and infrastructure; and WHEREAS, in September 2019, the Department of …

Read the full official text