ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
appropriation; DPS; school safety program
Purpose
Renames the Public Safety Interoperability Fund as the Arizona School Safety Fund (Fund) and requires monies in the Fund to be used for a School Safety Pilot Program. Appropriates $2,500,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) in FY 2022 to the Fund.
Background
The Public Safety Interoperability Fund is administered by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and is subject to legislative appropriation. Monies in the Public Safety Interoperability Fund must be used for interoperable communication systems (A.R.S. 41-1733). Currently, the Public Safety Interoperability Fund contains a $1,500,000 balance from a deposit made in FY 2020 (JLBC Baseline).
The Joint Ad Hoc Committee on Statewide Emergency Communications adopted, on January 23, 2020, recommendations to establish a Public Safety Communications Advisory Commission (PSCC) to review, or require the Director of DPS to review, new technologies relating to the expansion of statewide emergency communications regarding school safety, both visual and audible, across the state and to report the findings to DPS by December 1, 2020. DPS is prohibited from moving forward on any request for proposal or solicitation pursuant to an existing statewide contract for goods and services before hearing a report from the PSCC. DPS or the PSCC may not expend more than $10,000,000 to expand the entire interoperability communication system.
H.B. 2463 appropriates $2,500,000 from the state GF in FY 2022 to the Fund.
Provisions
1. Renames the Public Safety Interoperability Fund as the Fund.
2. Requires the State Treasurer, rather than DPS, to administer the Fund.
3. Requires monies in the Fund to be distributed to county sheriffs of the School Safety Pilot Program to be used for the Program.
4. Removes the requirement that Fund monies be used for interoperable communication systems.
5. Requires the School Safety Pilot Program to:
a) encompass up to 800 schools across three different counties that meet population requirements;
b) enable the deployment of a secure, multimedia data communications system to public safety agencies and public schools;
c) provide a communications solution environment that allows for specified capabilities;
d) be capable of being deployed to end users on existing communications assets owned by participating entities;
e) allow each participating entity to maintain discretionary real-time control of all communications assets owned or operated by the entity;
f) encrypt all media communications; and
g) ensure student and staff privacy.
6. Requires county sheriffs of the School Safety Pilot Program, by November 1 of each year, to submit a report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee of all expenditures made for the School Safety Pilot Program in the preceding fiscal year.
7. Terminates the School Safety Pilot Program on July 1, 2024.
8. Appropriates $2,500,000 from the state GF in FY 2022 to the Fund and exempts the appropriation from lapsing.
9. Makes a conforming change.
10. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Requires monies in the Fund to be distributed to county sheriffs of the School Safety Pilot Program, rather than the Maricopa County Sheriff.
2. Requires the School Safety Pilot Program to encompass up to 800 schools across three different counties that meet population requirements.
3. Requires participating county sheriffs to submit a report, rather than the Maricopa County Sheriff.
4. Makes conforming changes.
House Action Senate Action
MAPS 2/8/21 DPA 10-4-0-0 APPROP 3/23/21 DPA 8-2-0
APPROP 2/10/21 DP 9-4-0-0
3rd Read 3/4/21 39-20-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 24, 2021
LMM/kja