SB2946 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 15203 RTM 28349 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB2946

Introduced 1/27/2026, by Sen. Patrick J. Joyce

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 2615/10

Amends the Illinois State Police Radio Act. Provides that the Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC) shall oversee governance, interoperability, and land mobile radio standards for Illinois' land mobile radio communications system and shall collaborate with the Office of the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator and the Office of the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator to strengthen Illinois' emergency communications ecosystem. Provides that the SIEC may designate subcommittees necessary to effectuate its responsibilities. Provides that the voting membership of the SIEC must, at a minimum, include the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator, the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator, the Director of the Secretary of the State Police or the Director's designee, and at least one representative from each of the following, appointed by the Governor: an association representing Illinois fire chiefs, an association representing Illinois fire protection districts, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, an association representing Illinois chiefs of police, an association representing Illinois sheriffs, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Innovation and Technology, and the Department of Military Affairs. Removes references to the STARCOM21 Oversight Committee. Requires the SIEC to, no later than July 1, 2027, establish standards necessary to ensure land mobile radio equipment interoperates throughout Illinois; planning, training, and evaluation standards necessary to enhance public safety communications operational readiness; and standards necessary for the unification of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System statewide. Requires the SIEC to annually review existing statutory law and make recommendations for legislative changes to ensure efficient, effective, reliable, and sustainable communications interoperability statewide (rather than make recommendations concerning better integration of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System statewide and develop a plan to sustainably fund radio infrastructure, radio equipment, and interoperability statewide). Effective July 1, 2026.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois State Police Radio Act is amended by changing Section 10 as follows:

(20 ILCS 2615/10)

Sec. 10. Public safety radio interoperability.

(a) In this Section, "interoperability" means the ability of emergency response providers and relevant government officials to communicate across jurisdictions, disciplines, and levels of government as needed and as authorized.

(b) The Upon their establishment and thereafter, the Director of the Illinois State Police, or his or her designee, shall serve as the chairman of the Illinois Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC). The SIEC shall oversee governance, interoperability, and land mobile radio standards for Illinois' land mobile radio communications system and shall collaborate with the Office of the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator and the Office of the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator to strengthen Illinois' emergency communications ecosystem and as the chairman of the STARCOM21 Oversight Committee. The SIEC may designate subcommittees necessary to effectuate its responsibilities under this Section. The Director or his or her designee, as chairman, may increase the size and makeup of the voting membership of the SIEC each committee when deemed necessary for improved public safety radio interoperability, but the voting membership of each committee must represent public safety users (police, fire, or EMS) and must, at a minimum, include the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator, the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator, the Director of the Secretary of State Police or the Director's designee, and at least one representative from each of the following, appointed by the Governor: an association representing Illinois fire chiefs, an association representing Illinois fire protection districts, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, an association representing Illinois chiefs of police, an association representing Illinois sheriffs, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Innovation and Technology, and the Department of Military Affairs representatives specified in this Section.

Committee members The STARCOM21 Oversight Committee must comprise public safety users accessing the system and shall include the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator. The members of the STARCOM21 Oversight Committee shall serve without compensation and may, at the call of the Chair, meet in person or remotely. The SIEC shall adopt bylaws for its effective operation, as well as that of its subcommittees, and may appoint advisors from the public safety communications community to serve on any subcommittees at the pleasure of the SIEC. The Illinois State Police shall provide administrative and other support to the SIEC and any duly created subcommittees STARCOM21 Oversight Committee.

(c) The SIEC STARCOM21 Oversight Committee shall:

(1) no later than July 1, 2027, establish:

(A) standards necessary to ensure land mobile radio equipment interoperates throughout Illinois;

(B) planning, training, and evaluation standards necessary to enhance public safety communications operational readiness; and

(C) standards necessary for the unification of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System statewide review existing statutory law and make recommendations for legislative changes to ensure efficient, effective, reliable, and sustainable radio interoperability statewide;

(2) (blank) make recommendations concerning better integration of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System statewide; and

(3) annually review existing statutory law and make recommendations for legislative changes to ensure efficient, effective, reliable, and sustainable communications interoperability statewide develop a plan to sustainably fund radio infrastructure, radio equipment, and interoperability statewide.

The SIEC shall have at a minimum one representative from each of the following: the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, the Rural Fire Protection Association, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the Illinois Sheriffs' Association, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Public Health, and the Secretary of State Police (which representative shall be the Director of the Secretary of State Police or his or her designee).

(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21; 103-34, eff. 6-9-23.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026.