AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 6, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

98

Introduced by Assembly Member Arambula

February 19, 2026

An act to amend Section 15277 of the Government Code, relating to emergency services.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, sets forth the duties of the Office of Emergency Services with respect to specified emergency preparedness, mitigation, and response activities within the state. Existing law establishes the Public Safety Communications Division within the office and prescribes certain duties in regard to statewide public safety communications systems, including providing for coordination of, and comment on, plans, policies, and operational requirements from departments that utilize public safety communications in support of their principal function.

This bill would make the above-described duties the exclusive responsibility of the division and prohibit a state public agency from performing those duties, subject to certain exceptions. The bill would require the division to serve as the primary authority for all statewide and interjurisdictional public safety communications, and to provide oversight, management, and ongoing coordination of all statewide public safety communications systems. The bill would require state public agencies to utilize the public safety communications systems established and maintained under these provisions. The bill would prohibit the division, division or a state public agency, or a local public agency from entering into a contract for a technical, maintenance, or system support services without approval by the office. The bill would also prohibit a state or local public agency participating in the statewide public safety communications system from delegating, assigning, or entering into a contract for essential operation, duties, or functions of public safety communications, without approval or authorization from the office, as specified. The bill would require a state public agency, if it enters into a contract within the scope of work of the division staff, to notify the division’s state bargaining representative immediately via email and make their best effort to connect with representative.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The Public Safety Communications Division has set up critical infrastructure essential to the protection of life, property, and the environment and fundamental to effective and timely emergency response, disaster preparedness, and overall public safety operations across the state.

(b) California needs reliable, secure, and interoperable communications systems to ensure effective coordination among state agencies, local governments, federal partners, and other statewide public safety entities during emergencies, as well as routine operations.

(c) The increasing complexity of emergency incidents makes the duties and responsibilities of public safety communications staff all the more critical. There is a critical need for multiuser interoperability which requires centralized planning, oversight, and a coordinated system.

(d) Fragmented and incompatible communications systems may result in inefficiencies, increased costs, reduced reliability reliability, and catastrophe absent a well-coordinated effort.

(e) It is imperative that public safety communications systems meet statewide needs to ensure systematic performance and reliability and protect the interests of the state and its agencies on behalf of the public.

(f) There are critical communications systems used by the division, such as the California Radio Interoperable System (CRIS), which is a statewide mobile radio system designed to provide state, federal, local, and tribal public safety agencies with the ability to seamlessly communicate intra-agency and interagency across the State of California. The system is critical to ensuring rapid, coordinated public safety response in emergency situations.

(g) The Legislature aims to continue to keep all Californians safe. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure the specified roles and responsibilities of public safety communications under Section 15277 of the Government Code are not performed by agencies outside of the Office of Emergency Services, unless otherwise specified by that office.

SEC. 2.

Section 15277 of the Government Code is amended to read:

15277.

(a) The Public Safety Communications Division is established within the office. The duties of the division shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1) Assessing the overall long-range public safety communications needs and requirements of the state considering emergency operations, performance, cost, state-of-the-art technology, multiuser availability, security, reliability, and other factors deemed to be important to state needs and requirements.

(2) Developing strategic and tactical policies and plans for public safety communications with consideration for the systems and requirements of the state and all public agencies in this state, and preparing an annual strategic communications plan that includes the feasibility of interfaces with federal and other state telecommunications networks and services.

(3) Recommending industry standards for public safety communications systems to ensure multiuser availability and compatibility.

(4) Providing advice and assistance in the selection of communications equipment to ensure that the public safety communications needs of state agencies are met and that procurements are compatible throughout state agencies and are consistent with the state’s strategic and tactical plans for public safety communications.

(5) Providing management oversight of statewide public safety communications systems developments.

(6) Providing for coordination of, and comment on, plans, policies, and operational requirements from departments that utilize public safety communications in support of their principal function, such as the California National Guard, health and safety agencies, and others with primary public safety communications programs.

(7) Monitoring and participating on behalf of the state in the proceedings of federal and state regulatory agencies and in congressional and state legislative deliberations that have an impact on state government public safety communications activities.

(8) Developing plans regarding teleconferencing as an alternative to state travel during emergency situations.

(9) Ensuring that all radio transmitting devices owned or operated by state agencies and departments are licensed, installed, and maintained in accordance with the requirements of federal law. A request for a federally required license for a state-owned radio transmitting device shall be sought only in the name of the “State of California.”

(10) Acquiring, installing, equipping, maintaining, and operating new or existing public safety communications systems and facilities for public safety agencies. To accomplish that purpose, the division is authorized to enter into contracts, obtain licenses, acquire property, install necessary equipment and facilities, and do other necessary acts to provide adequate and efficient public safety communications systems. Any systems established shall be available to all public agencies in the state on terms that may be agreed upon by the public agency and the division.

(11) Acquiring, installing, equipping, maintaining, and operating all new or replacement microwave communications systems operated by the state, except microwave equipment used exclusively for traffic signal and signing control, traffic metering, and roadway surveillance systems. To accomplish that purpose, the division is authorized to enter into contracts, obtain licenses, acquire property, install necessary equipment and facilities, and do other necessary acts to provide adequate and efficient microwave communications systems. Any system established shall be available to all public safety agencies in the state on terms that may be agreed upon by the public agency and the division.

(b) The duties listed in subdivision (a) are the exclusive responsibility of the division and shall not be performed by another state public agency, except as specified in this section.

(c) The division shall serve as the primary authority for all statewide and interjurisdictional public safety communications, and shall provide oversight, management, and ongoing coordination of all statewide public safety communications systems.

(1) A state public agency shall utilize the public safety communications systems established and maintained pursuant to this chapter.

(2) The division, division or a state public agency, or a local public agency shall not enter into a contract for technical, maintenance, or system support services unless approved by the office.

(3) A state or local agency participating in the statewide public safety communications system shall not delegate, assign, or enter into a contract for essential operations, duties, or functions of public safety communications, including the initial processing or dispatch of emergency response communications, except as specified in paragraph (2) or otherwise authorized by the office. Any delegation, assignment, or contract for the performance of public safety communications shall be submitted to the office for review and approval.

(4) If a state public agency enters into a contract within the scope of work of the division staff, that agency shall notify the division state bargaining representative immediately via email and make their best effort to connect with the representative.

(d) This chapter shall not apply to Department of Justice communications operated pursuant to Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 15150) of Part 6.