HB 2710: Statewide radio systems; creating the Oklahoma Emergency Communications Act; defining terms; effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 10 edits

MAJOR

The Senate version of HB 2710 eliminates the separate Oklahoma Emergency Communications Office and the Joint Executive Board for Emergency Communications, consolidating all operational functions directly into the Oklahoma Emergency Communications Authority. The Authority gains two new members (the 9-1-1 Coordinator and an Inter-Tribal Council representative), its quorum and voting thresholds are tightened, and the Department of Public Safety becomes the operational home for state radio infrastructure instead of a standalone office.

SCOPE

The Oklahoma Emergency Communications Office (former Section 5) is eliminated entirely. Its duties - managing radio systems, strategic planning, grant administration, GIS data, training, and FCC compliance - are absorbed into the Authority's powers and duties in Section 4.

The Joint Executive Board for Emergency Communications (former Section 7) is eliminated. This board previously consisted of members from both the 9-1-1 Management Authority and the Emergency Communications Authority and was responsible for employing and evaluating the Executive Coordinator who oversaw both offices.

A new duty is added requiring the Authority to seek public and private partnerships that enhance the public safety radio network (new item 18 in Section 4).

ELIGIBILITY

Authority membership changes from 14 to 15 members: one DPS seat is removed (from two to one), the Oklahoma 9-1-1 Coordinator or designee is added as a member, and a new seat representing the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes (appointed by the Governor) is added.

REQUIREMENT

Quorum increases from seven to eight members, and the voting requirement changes from 'majority of members present' to 'majority of the Authority member seats,' making it harder to pass actions with low attendance.

The Department of Public Safety is required to provide a dedicated resource to the Authority, staffing, meeting space, and other assistance as needed. The Authority must elect a chair and meet at least quarterly.

The strategic plan for radio communications must now be updated annually (previously 'no less than biannually'), submitted to the Governor, Speaker, and President Pro Tempore by November 1 of each year, made publicly available on the DPS website, and available to anyone upon request.

FISCAL

Revolving fund expenditures are now made directly by the Authority rather than by the Oklahoma Emergency Communications Office upon Authority approval, removing the intermediary layer.

TECHNICAL

State-owned radio infrastructure, including communication tower infrastructure, must be moved to the Department of Public Safety within two years (previously it was to be moved to the Oklahoma Emergency Communications Office). The Authority now has 'final approval' of contracts rather than simply holding them.

DEFINITION

Definitions for 'Executive Coordinator,' 'Joint Executive Board for Emergency Communications,' and 'Office' are removed from Section 2, reflecting the elimination of those entities. Only 'Authority,' 'FCC,' and 'Revolving fund' remain defined.

House Committee Substitute → Floor (House) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was updated from the House Committee Substitute version to the Floor version, incorporating amendments made by the Senate. The primary substantive change is a reorganization of the bill's structure, where the definition of the 'Joint Executive Board' was moved to Section 2 to appear before the creation of the Authority in Section 3, ensuring the board is defined before its members are appointed. Additionally, the codification section was updated to reflect the correct statute number (Section 2890) for the new act.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains unchanged; it still establishes the Oklahoma Emergency Communications Authority and the Joint Executive Board for Emergency Communications.

TECHNICAL

The bill's internal structure was modified by moving the definition of the 'Joint Executive Board' to Section 2, placing it before the section that creates the Authority and lists its members.

The codification reference was updated to ensure the new act is filed under Section 2890 of Title 63, correcting the numbering sequence.

Header and footer metadata were updated to reflect the 'Floor Version' status and include Senate sponsor information.

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 → House Committee Substitute · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was rewritten to establish a new 'Oklahoma Emergency Communications Authority' with 14 members, replacing the previous '9-1-1 Management Unit' structure. The new authority will oversee state emergency radio systems, manage a revolving fund, and employ an Executive Coordinator, shifting governance from a Homeland Security Advisor to a broader coalition of state agencies and local representatives.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a specific 9-1-1 management unit to a comprehensive authority governing all state emergency communications systems, including radio infrastructure and shared systems.

SCOPE

Created a new 14-member 'Oklahoma Emergency Communications Authority' to replace the previous 9-1-1 Management Unit.

REQUIREMENT

Defined specific appointment processes for each of the 14 authority members, including representation from public safety, transportation, health, law enforcement, fire services, and municipalities.

Established that authority members serve without compensation and must be reaffirmed every two years.

Granted the authority powers to approve deputy coordinators, promulgate rules, prepare grant solicitations, and oversee the annual budget for the emergency communications office.

Removed provisions related to the '9-1-1 Management Unit' and the appointment of a '9-1-1 Coordinator' by the Homeland Security Advisor.

DEFINITION

Added new statutory definitions for key terms like 'Authority', 'Executive Coordinator', and 'Joint Executive Board for Emergency Communications'.

FISCAL

Authorized the creation of an 'Oklahoma Emergency Communications Authority Revolving Fund' to support system operations and expenditures.

Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to shift its primary focus from creating a new 'Oklahoma Emergency Communications Authority' to establishing an existing '9-1-1 Management Unit' within the Oklahoma Emergency Communications Section. This change simplifies the governance structure by removing the creation of a new governing board and instead relying on the Homeland Security Advisor to appoint personnel. The revision also consolidates the list of amended statutes and updates the bill's title and page numbering.

Scope change

The scope of the bill changed from creating a new independent governing body (the Authority) to modifying and transferring existing responsibilities to the 9-1-1 Management Unit, effectively reducing the number of new entities created.

SCOPE

The creation of the 'Oklahoma Emergency Communications Authority' as a new governing board was removed; the bill now focuses on the '9-1-1 Management Unit'.

REQUIREMENT

The Homeland Security Advisor is now explicitly authorized to appoint the 9-1-1 Coordinator, subordinates, and employees, replacing the previous requirement for a joint board.

DEFINITION

The bill's title and summary were updated to reflect the new entity names and the removal of the 'Joint Executive Board' concept.

TECHNICAL

The list of amended statutes was consolidated and reorganized to align with the new statutory section numbers and entity names.

Engrossed → Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten from scratch by the committee, replacing the original 'Authority' structure with a new 'Joint Executive Board' and renaming the operational unit from 'Office' to 'Office'. Membership was reduced from 15 to 14 members, and the role of the Executive Director was changed to an Executive Coordinator who is now employed by the Board rather than the Authority. The text also updated several statutory references to reflect recent legislative changes.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from creating a standalone 'Oklahoma Emergency Communications Authority' to establishing a 'Joint Executive Board for Emergency Communications' that combines members from both the Emergency Communications Authority and the 9-1-1 Management Authority.

STRUCTURE

Removed the standalone 'Oklahoma Emergency Communications Authority' as the primary governing body.

Added the 'Joint Executive Board for Emergency Communications' as the new governing entity.

Reduced the total number of governing board members from 15 to 14.

DEFINITION

Changed the title of the operational role from 'Executive Director' to 'Executive Coordinator'.

REQUIREMENT

Modified the employment requirement so the Executive Coordinator is now hired by the Joint Board instead of the Authority.

Changed the operational unit name from 'Oklahoma Emergency Communications Office' to 'Oklahoma Emergency Communications Office' (textual adjustment in context of new structure).

TECHNICAL

Updated references to Oklahoma Statutes to align with recent amendments regarding the Chief Information Officer and 9-1-1 Management Authority.

Introduced → Engrossed · 5 edits · Mar 25, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was updated from its original introduction to its final engrossed version, incorporating specific amendments to the list of Authority members and their appointment processes. The most significant change is the expansion of the Authority's composition from 14 to 15 members, adding new representatives for Oklahoma municipalities, county commissioners, and radio communications to ensure broader stakeholder input. Additionally, the text was corrected to clarify that Authority members must be reaffirmed every two years rather than serving at the pleasure of their appointing authority without a fixed term.

Scope change

The scope of the Authority's oversight was broadened by adding new member categories representing municipal and county interests, ensuring the Emergency Communications Act reflects the needs of a wider range of local government entities.

ELIGIBILITY

Added two new member categories: one representing Oklahoma municipalities and one representing Oklahoma county commissioners, both appointed by the Speaker of the House and Governor respectively.

Added a new member category representing radio communications, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the term requirement for Authority members from serving at the pleasure of the appointing authority to being reaffirmed every two years.

Updated the total number of Authority members from 14 to 15 to accommodate the new member categories.

TECHNICAL

Corrected formatting inconsistencies in the member list and clarified the text regarding member reaffirmation.

Statewide radio systems; creating the Oklahoma Emergency Communications Act; defining terms; effective date.

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