Texas Bill Would Establish Interoperability Council for First Responders
A Texas bill would establish the Texas Interoperability Council to address communications gaps between first responders and emergency alert systems. An earlier version of the bill, HB-13, was introduced during the last legislative session in response to the devastating 2023…
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wildfire in the panhandle region. State Rep. Ken King (R) refiled the new bill, HB-2, last week with no major edits. It would task the council with developing and coordinating a statewide plan for the interoperability of emergency communications systems and incorporating any necessary technologies into the state's emergency communications network. The bill would also create a grant program for local governments to buy or construct emergency communications infrastructure and train employees on how to use the equipment during an emergency. It remains unknown how much funding would be made available for the grant program.