The Virginia Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC) met on July 22 to begin work on SB 525 (Stuart), legislation continued to the 2027 General Assembly Session with a letter from the Chair of the Senate Local Government Committee asking SIEC to evaluate the proposal. The intent of the legislation was to strengthen interoperability among public safety agencies by requiring localities participating in certain mutual aid agreements to provide the technical information necessary to program public safety radio equipment, including radio frequencies, encryption keys, and other programming data needed for emergency responses. The committee dedicated a work session to discussing implementation of the new law alongside broader interoperability initiatives.
The letter also requested that the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, in consultation with the SIEC, to evaluate Virginia’s public safety communications infrastructure and future funding needs, underscoring the Commonwealth’s continued focus on strengthening emergency communications statewide. A subcommittee of the committee was created to draft a letter on the issue for final review by the full SIEC.
Beyond the SB 525 work session, committee members discussed updates to Virginia’s Statewide Communication Interoperability Plan (SCIP), planning for the 2026 Emerging Technology Conference, radio encryption coordination and encryption key (CKR) deconfliction efforts, and received roundtable updates from stakeholders across the Commonwealth. These discussions continue the committee’s work to improve interoperability, coordinate emerging technologies, and support reliable communications for Virginia’s first responders.
SIEC was honored by the attendance of Senator Danny Diggs and Public Safety Deputy Secretary Dillon Taylor, Esq.
VACo Contact: Jeremy R. Bennett