AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-3-2018, relative to the P25 interoperable communications system.
Summary
SB1301 amends Tennessee law governing the statewide P25 interoperable communications system. The bill identifies the Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN) as the division of the Department of Safety that operates, maintains, and oversees the system. It also authorizes the department to adopt rules governing access to the system and to establish fees and assessments related to its maintenance, use, and improvement.
The bill further provides that any fees and assessments collected under those rules are expendable receipts of the Department of Safety and must be used for the maintenance, use, and improvement of the P25 interoperable communications system. In practical terms, the measure gives the department clearer statutory authority to manage the system and to fund ongoing operations and upgrades through collected revenues.
Impact
SB1301 updates Tennessee Code Annotated Section 4-3-2018 to formalize TACN’s role in administering the statewide P25 interoperable communications network and to authorize fee-setting and assessment collection for system access and upkeep. The bill affects the Department of Safety, TACN, and any agencies or users that rely on the statewide public safety communications network, while directing collected funds back into the system as expendable receipts for operational and capital needs.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It advanced unanimously through committee and passed both chambers without any recorded dissenting votes, indicating strong bipartisan agreement on the need to maintain and improve the state’s interoperable communications infrastructure.
Contention
No major points of contention are reflected in the available record. The only potentially sensitive issue is the department’s new authority to impose fees and assessments for access, maintenance, and improvements to the P25 system, which could affect participating agencies or users. However, the unanimous committee and floor votes suggest that any concerns were minimal or resolved without public opposition.