HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 44

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2010

INTRODUCED BY

Janice E. Arnold-Jones

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO RECOMMEND TO THE STATE A METHODOLOGY TO RESPOND TO THE MANDATE FROM THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION TO IMPLEMENT NARROWBANDING IN THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO.

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico legislature acknowledges that the federal communications commission promulgated rules in response to public safety providers' requests for additional spectrum in the bands below five hundred twelve megahertz, referred to as "narrowbanding"; and

     WHEREAS, narrowbanding is a method of making two radio frequencies from one radio frequency; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico legislature acknowledges that the federal communications commission rules related to narrowbanding have the goal of promoting more efficient use of the very high frequency one hundred fifty to one hundred seventy-four megahertz and four hundred fifty to five hundred twelve megahertz radio spectrum used by public safety providers; and

     WHEREAS, the narrowbanding rules mandate that states implement a narrowbanding solution for public safety providers by 2013; and

     WHEREAS, the state and local government public safety entities affected by the narrowbanding mandate do not have the dollars necessary to implement narrowbanding by the date dictated;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the department of information technology and the homeland security and emergency management department be requested to collaborate with appropriate local government entities to organize a strategy to respond to the federal communications commission mandate, with the department of information technology taking the lead; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department of information technology and the homeland security and emergency management department report by December 1, 2010 their progress to the appropriate legislative committee appointed by the New Mexico legislative council documenting proposed steps for the state to respond to the narrowbanding mandate; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretaries of information technology and homeland security and emergency management.

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