SB 273

Statewide public safety interoperable communication system

Under current law, the Department of Military Affairs provides staff support

for the Interoperability Council and is charged with overseeing the development and

operation of a statewide public safety interoperable communication system, which

is a system that allows various public safety entities, public works and

transportation agencies, hospitals, and volunteer emergency services agencies to

communicate via radio or other communication technology in an emergency.

The bill provides that DMA must also administer any current or future

statewide public safety interoperable communication system, and allows DMA to

enter into agreements for maintenance and support of, upgrades to, and

enhancements for the statewide public safety interoperable communication system.

The bill also provides that of the money the governor accepts from the federal

government under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the governor shall

allocate $33,000,000 for the development of an updated statewide public safety

interoperable communication system.

Emergency services IP network contracts

Under current law, DMA must contract for the creation, operation, and

maintenance of an emergency services IP network to provide all public safety

answering points with the necessary infrastructure to implement Next Generation

911.

The bill provides that of the money the governor accepts from the federal

government under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the governor shall

allocate $18,500,000 for emergency services IP network contracts.

Geographic information systems database

The bill provides that of the money the governor accepts from the federal

government under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the governor shall

allocate $1,700,000 to develop a statewide geographic information systems database.

Grant for psychiatric beds

This bill allows the Building Commission to award a grant to a hospital in Eau

Claire County, as specified in the bill, in the amount of $15,000,000 for the purpose

of expanding capacity by 22 psychiatric beds between the hospital in Eau Claire

County and a hospital in Chippewa County. The bill requires the governor to allocate

$15,000,000 of the funds accepted under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of

2021 for purposes of the grant. If the grant awarded under this bill is not used for

the purpose of expanding psychiatric bed capacity, the state retains an ownership

interest in the hospital's expansion equal to the amount of the state's grant.

Emergency detention is a current law procedure for temporary involuntary

commitment of individuals who are believed to be mentally ill, drug dependent, or

developmentally disabled and who demonstrate a substantial probability of causing

harm to themselves or others or an inability to satisfy certain basic needs due to a