A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to direct the Department of public safety to conduct an annual survey of viper users, to increase outreach to stakeholders, and to determine the value of in‑kind contributions supporting the viper system, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM EVALUATION OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The Department of Public Safety (Department) shall conduct an annual survey of local, State, and federal users of North Carolina's Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency Responders (VIPER) in order to track and measure user satisfaction and feedback over time. Beginning November 1, 2019, and annually thereafter, the Department shall report the survey results to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety.
SECTION 2.  The Department shall increase outreach to VIPER stakeholders beyond those that participate in the State Interoperability Executive Committee. The outreach may include zone or regional meetings conducted by the State Highway Patrol with local chiefs of police, sheriffs, fire chiefs, and representatives of emergency medical services.
SECTION 3.  The Department shall determine the value of all in‑kind contributions made by units of local government, the federal government, and nongovernmental entities to support the VIPER system. As used in this section, an in‑kind contribution includes cash, land, buildings, towers, and equipment for VIPER sites. The Department shall report its findings to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety by July 1, 2019.
SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law.