SB525 • 2026

Mutual aid agreements; public safety radio equipment.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend and reenact § 15.2-1736 of the Code of Virginia, relating to mutual aid agreements; public safety radio equipment.</p>

Privacy

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Stuart
Last action: 2026-02-02
Official status: Continued
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not specify penalties for non-compliance.

Mutual Aid Agreements for Public Safety Radio Equipment

This bill requires localities in Virginia to share information needed to program public safety radios when they have mutual aid agreements.

What This Bill Does

Requires localities with mutual aid agreements to provide access to the necessary information to program their public safety radio equipment, such as frequencies and security codes.

Who It Names or Affects

Local governments in Virginia that have entered into mutual aid agreements.
Public safety agencies within these localities.

Terms To Know

Mutual Aid Agreement: An agreement between different localities to help each other during emergencies or disasters.
Encryption Keys: Secret codes used to protect the privacy of messages sent over radio equipment.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not require localities to provide new radio equipment.
It only applies to localities that have already entered into mutual aid agreements.

Bill History

2026-02-02 Local Government
Continued to 2027 in Local Government
2026-02-02 Local Government
Continued to 2027 in Local Government (15-Y 0-N)
2026-01-13 Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102229D
2026-01-13 Local Government
Referred to Committee on Local Government

Official Summary Text

Mutual aid agreements; public safety radio equipment.
Requires localities that have entered into certain public safety mutual aid agreements to provide access to the information necessary to program the public safety radio equipment owned or used by such locality, such as radio frequencies and security and encryption keys.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

A BILL to amend and reenact §
15.2-1736
of the Code of Virginia, relating to mutual aid agreements; public safety radio equipment.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §
15.2-1736
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§
15.2-1736
. Mutual aid agreements among governing bodies of localities.

A.
The governing bodies of localities, institutions of higher learning having a police force appointed pursuant to subsection B of §
23.1-812
, and institutions of higher education having a private police force, as well as sheriffs, and the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation with commissioned conservation officers, or any combination thereof may, by proper resolutions, enter in and become a party to contracts or mutual aid agreements for the use of their joint forces, both regular and auxiliary, their equipment and materials to maintain peace and good order, including providing transportation for such person subject to an emergency custody order pursuant to §
37.2-808
or providing transportation for a person in the temporary detention process pursuant to §
37.2-810
. However, no such institution of higher learning shall enter into such agreement with another institution of higher education in a noncontiguous locality without the consent of all localities within which such institutions are located. Any police or other law-enforcement officer, regular or auxiliary, while performing his duty under any such contract or agreement, shall have the same authority in such locality as he has within the locality where he was appointed.

B.
In counties where no police department has been established, the sheriff may, in his discretion, enter into mutual aid agreements as provided by this section.

C.
Localities that have
entered
into a mutual aid
agreement
pur
suant to this section
shall provide access to the
information necessary
to program public safety radio equipment
owned or used by such locality
.
Such information
includes radio frequencies
and
security
and encryption
keys
.

A
ny locality that participates in
a
mutual aid agreement and receives a request from a partnering jurisdiction
shall
take all necessary steps to ensure direct communication with the supporting units of that locality.
However, no locality shall be required to
provide radio
equipment
upgrades.