Wis. Stat. § 323.29 — WI Code / Chapter 323 / Section 323.29
Statewide public safety interoperable communication system.
Status: in_force

(1) Definitions.

(a) “Council” means the interoperability council created under s. 15.315 (1) (a) .

(am) “Department” means the department of military affairs.

(b) “Dispatch center” has the meaning given for “public safety answering point” in s. 256.35 (1) (gm) .

(c) “Interoperability” means the ability of public safety agencies to communicate with each other and with agencies and entities identified under sub. (2) (a) by means of radio or associated communications systems, including the exchange of voice, data, or video communications on demand and in real time, as needed and authorized.

(d) “Public safety agency” has the meaning given in s. 256.35 (1) (g) .

(2) Interoperability council. The council shall do all of the following:

(a) Identify types of agencies and entities, including public works and transportation agencies, hospitals, and volunteer emergency services agencies to be included, in addition to public safety agencies, in a statewide public safety interoperable communication system.

(b) Recommend short-term and long-term goals to achieve a statewide public safety interoperable communication system.

(c) Recommend and periodically review a strategy and timeline for achieving the goals under par. (b) , including objectives for local units of government.

(d) Assist the department in identifying and obtaining funding to implement a statewide public safety interoperable communication system.

(e) Advise the department on allocating funds, including those available for homeland security, for the purpose of achieving the goals under par. (b) .

(f) Make recommendations to the department on all of the following:

1. Technical and operational standards for public safety interoperable communication systems.

2. Guidelines and procedures for using public safety interoperable communication systems.

3. Minimum standards for public safety interoperable communication systems, facilities, and equipment used by dispatch centers.

4. Certification criteria for persons who operate public safety interoperable communication systems for dispatch centers.

(g) Advise the department on appropriate purposes and eligibility criteria for grants under sub. (5) .

(3) Department duties and powers.

(a) The department shall do all of the following:

1. Provide staff support for the council.

2. Administer the current and the future statewide public safety interoperable communication system.

3. Oversee the operation of the current statewide public safety interoperable communication system.

(b) The department may do any of the following:

1. Charge a public safety agency that is a state agency a fee for use of the statewide public safety interoperable communication system under this section.

2. Charge a person that is not a state agency a fee for use of the statewide public safety interoperable communication system under this section.

3. Enter into agreements for maintenance and support of the current statewide public safety interoperable communication system and enter into agreements for maintenance and support of, upgrades to, and enhancements for a replacement statewide public safety interoperable communication system after it has been procured.

(4) Director of emergency communications. The adjutant general shall appoint a director of emergency communications within the division to serve at the pleasure of the adjutant general outside the classified service. The position shall be funded from the appropriation under s. 20.465 (3) (q) .

(5) Grant program for public safety interoperable communication system upgrades.

(a) The department shall award grants to local units of government that have participating agencies and entities identified under sub. (2) (a) , using the criteria under par. (b) 2.

(b) The department shall establish guidelines for grants under par. (a) that are based on the recommendations of the council under sub. (2) (g) . Notwithstanding s. 227.10 (1) , guidelines under this paragraph need not be promulgated as rules under ch. 227 and shall specify all of the following:

1. Appropriate purposes for the grants, which shall relate to public safety interoperable communication system upgrades.

2. Eligibility criteria for the grants, which shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:

a. A requirement that a local unit of government’s governing body submit a resolution or other written commitment indicating the local unit of government’s intention to spend, of its own funds, an amount equal to 20 percent of the total grant awarded under par. (a) on the public safety interoperable communication system upgrades.

b. If a local unit of government whose agencies or entities under sub. (2) (a) are not currently daily users of the statewide public safety interoperable communication system, but would like to be considered daily users for the purpose of receiving a grant under par. (c) , a requirement that the local unit of government’s governing body submit a resolution or other written commitment indicating its intention to join the replacement statewide public safety interoperable communication system required under 2021 Wisconsin Act 58 , section 9131 (1) (c) , when that system becomes available.

c. Authorized uses for the grant funding, including that any radios purchased with the grant funding must be 700/800 MHz P25 Phase II-compliant and capable of operating on the state’s upgraded public safety interoperable communication system.

(c) Beginning on March 29, 2024, and for 4 years thereafter, the department shall award 70 percent of the grants under par. (a) to local units of government whose agencies or entities identified under sub. (2) (a) are daily users of the statewide public safety interoperable communication system, and the department shall award 30 percent of the grants under par. (a) to local units of government whose agencies or entities identified under sub. (2) (a) are not daily users of the statewide public safety interoperable communication system.

(d) Grants under par. (a) may be prioritized to correlate the timing of the receipt of grant funding with the timing of infrastructure for the replacement statewide public safety interoperable communication system required under 2021 Wisconsin Act 58 , section 9131 (1) (c) , becoming available in the geographic area of the grant recipient.

History: 2007 a. 79 ; 2009 a. 180 ; 2013 a. 20 ; 2017 a. 59 ss. 169e to 169s , 1673h to 1673t , 1892c to 1892x ; 2019 a. 9 ; 2021 a. 58 ; 2023 a. 221 .