Governor Reviews Police and Fire Radio System Purchases

When emergency services buy new radio systems, they need to work together. If one fire department has a different radio system than police across town, they cannot talk to each other during emergencies. HB 149 helps solve this problem by making sure all new purchases fit together. The bill requires cities and counties to ask the Texas governor before buying new police, fire, or emergency radio systems. The governor will check that the new system can communicate with existing systems in the area. This is called interoperability—when different systems work together smoothly. The governor has 90 days to make a decision after receiving a purchase request. The governor can approve the purchase, deny it completely, or ask for changes. If the governor denies the request, the city or county gets a list of what needs to change so they can try again. The new law takes effect on August 1, 2026. Until then, cities and counties can buy radio systems without approval. The governor must create the rules and standards for this review process by August 1, 2026. These rules will define what makes a good system and how different radios can talk to each other.