S. C. R. No. 15 As Adopted by the House

As Adopted by the House

130th General Assembly

Regular Session

2013-2014

S. C. R. No. 15

Senator Patton

Cosponsors: Senators Seitz, Manning, LaRose, Hughes, Balderson, Beagle, Burke, Coley, Eklund, Hite, Jones, Jordan, Lehner, Schaffer, Uecker
Representatives Stautberg, Cera, Conditt, Duffey, Roegner, Rogers, Romanchuk, Strahorn, Anielski, Baker, Beck, Blessing, Brown, Buchy, Butler, Dovilla, Grossman, Hackett, Hall, Johnson, Maag, Schuring, Sprague, Stebelton Speaker Batchelder

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

To urge the United States House of Representatives 1
Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on 2
Communications and Technology to hold regular 3
hearings regarding the nationwide broadband public 4
safety network, require the First Responder 5
Network Authority (FirstNet) to identify the costs 6
of such network to Ohio, and include related 7
amendments to the law governing FirstNet. 8

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF OHIO
(THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING):

       WHEREAS, Ohio's first responders require mission critical 9
communications infrastructure to effectively do their jobs; and 10

       WHEREAS, Ohio has invested over $500,000,000 in system assets 11
that include over 200 tower sites, shelters, generators, mobile 12
towers, microwave backhaul, consoles, and mobile and portable 13
radios; and 14

       WHEREAS, Over 55,000 first responders and public service 15
users at the federal, state, and local government levels rely on 16
the assets that Ohio has invested in; and 17

       WHEREAS, The federal Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation 18
Act of 2012 created the First Responder Network Authority 19
(FirstNet) within the United States Department of Commerce 20
National Telecommunications and Information Administration and 21
tasked FirstNet with building and maintaining a single, 22
nationwide, interoperable broadband public safety network; and 23

       WHEREAS, FirstNet is requiring states to inventory their 24
assets and develop statewide plans to allow federal use or 25
takeover of those assets for the undetermined nationwide broadband 26
public safety network; and 27

       WHEREAS, FirstNet is requiring states to opt into, and 28
provide an undetermined level of financial support to, the 29
nationwide broadband public safety network; and 30

       WHEREAS, FirstNet appears to lack sufficient funding for the 31
nationwide broadband public safety network, but is requiring a 32
self-sustaining model; and 33

       WHEREAS, FirstNet lacks planning and did not seek input from 34
Ohio as evidenced by the witnesses who testified before, and 35
submitted testimony to, the United States House of Representatives 36
Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications 37
and Technology in a March 2013, hearing entitled "Oversight of 38
FirstNet and Emergency Communications"; now therefore be it 39

       RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly 40
of the State of Ohio, respectfully urge the Subcommittee on 41
Communications and Technology to hold regular hearings regarding 42
the nationwide broadband public safety network and require that 43
FirstNet create a publicly vetted business plan that identifies 44
the exact costs that Ohio will be mandated to appropriate or 45
obligate for the nationwide broadband public safety network; and 46
be it further 47

       RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly 48
of the State of Ohio, respectfully urge the Subcommittee on 49
Communications and Technology to include amendments to the law 50
that would allow Ohio to opt-out of the nationwide broadband 51
public safety network with no net costs; and be it further 52

       RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly 53
of the State of Ohio, respectfully urge the Subcommittee on 54
Communications and Technology to include amendments to the law 55
that require FirstNet to provide full written assurances that 56
communications provided by the nationwide broadband public safety 57
network will meet and exceed the current level of service for 58
Ohio's state and local public safety officers in the areas of 59
reliability, redundancy, and state-based system control; and be it 60
further 61

       RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly 62
of the State of Ohio, respectfully urge the Subcommittee on 63
Communications and Technology to include amendments to the law 64
that require FirstNet to provide fair market compensation to Ohio 65
for access and utilization of state-owned assets in support of the 66
network's deployment; and be it further 67

       RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly 68
of the State of Ohio, respectfully urge the United States Congress 69
to reconsider the statute and appropriations creating FirstNet; 70
and be if further 71

       RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly 72
authenticated copies of this resolution to the Speaker and Clerk 73
of the United States House of Representatives, the President Pro 74
Tempore and Secretary of the United States Senate, all members of 75
the United States House of Representatives Energy and Commerce 76
Committee, the members of the Ohio Congressional delegation, and 77
the news media of Ohio. 78

WHEREAS, Ohio's first responders require mission critical	9
communications infrastructure to effectively do their jobs; and	10

WHEREAS, Ohio has invested over $500,000,000 in system assets	11
that include over 200 tower sites, shelters, generators, mobile	12
towers, microwave backhaul, consoles, and mobile and portable	13
radios; and	14

WHEREAS, Over 55,000 first responders and public service	15
users at the federal, state, and local government levels rely on	16
the assets that Ohio has invested in; and	17

WHEREAS, The federal Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation	18
Act of 2012 created the First Responder Network Authority	19
(FirstNet) within the United States Department of Commerce	20
National Telecommunications and Information Administration and	21
tasked FirstNet with building and maintaining a single,	22
nationwide, interoperable broadband public safety network; and	23

WHEREAS, FirstNet is requiring states to inventory their	24
assets and develop statewide plans to allow federal use or	25
takeover of those assets for the undetermined nationwide broadband	26
public safety network; and	27

WHEREAS, FirstNet is requiring states to opt into, and	28
provide an undetermined level of financial support to, the	29
nationwide broadband public safety network; and	30

WHEREAS, FirstNet appears to lack sufficient funding for the	31
nationwide broadband public safety network, but is requiring a	32
self-sustaining model; and	33

WHEREAS, FirstNet lacks planning and did not seek input from	34
Ohio as evidenced by the witnesses who testified before, and	35
submitted testimony to, the United States House of Representatives	36
Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications	37
and Technology in a March 2013, hearing entitled "Oversight of	38
FirstNet and Emergency Communications"; now therefore be it	39

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly	40
of the State of Ohio, respectfully urge the Subcommittee on	41
Communications and Technology to hold regular hearings regarding	42
the nationwide broadband public safety network and require that	43
FirstNet create a publicly vetted business plan that identifies	44
the exact costs that Ohio will be mandated to appropriate or	45
obligate for the nationwide broadband public safety network; and	46
be it further	47

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly	48
of the State of Ohio, respectfully urge the Subcommittee on	49
Communications and Technology to include amendments to the law	50
that would allow Ohio to opt-out of the nationwide broadband	51
public safety network with no net costs; and be it further	52

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly	68
of the State of Ohio, respectfully urge the United States Congress	69
to reconsider the statute and appropriations creating FirstNet;	70
and be if further	71

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly	72
authenticated copies of this resolution to the Speaker and Clerk	73
of the United States House of Representatives, the President Pro	74
Tempore and Secretary of the United States Senate, all members of	75
the United States House of Representatives Energy and Commerce	76
Committee, the members of the Ohio Congressional delegation, and	77
the news media of Ohio.	78