Bill Text: CA AB1567 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 1567 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Emergency services: catastrophic plans: recovery frameworks.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Failed) 2022-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB1567 Detail]

Download: California-2021-AB1567-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly April 14, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1567

Introduced by Committee on Emergency Management

March 03, 2021

An act to add Section 8586.9 to the Government Code, relating to emergency services, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1567, as amended, Committee on Emergency Management. Emergency services: catastrophic plans: recovery frameworks.

Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, establishes the Office of Emergency Services (OES) within the office of the Governor, and sets forth its powers and duties, including responsibility for addressing natural, technological, or manmade disasters and emergencies, including activities necessary to prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of emergencies and disasters to people and property.

This bill would require OES to develop state recovery frameworks for California’s catastrophic plans, as provided. The bill would also require the governing body of a political subdivision, as defined, to develop regional recovery frameworks for California’s catastrophic plans and would require OES to provide technical assistance in this regard.

This bill would require OES and the governing bodies of political subdivisions, in developing recovery frameworks, to incorporate lessons learned from recent major disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill would require the recovery frameworks to be consistent with guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and to address, at a minimum, specified recovery support functions, including economic recovery, health and social services, and infrastructure systems. The bill would require OES to use, to the greatest extent possible, federal preparedness grant funding to offset the state, local, and tribal government costs associated with developing recovery frameworks. The bill would require the state and regional recovery frameworks to be completed by January 15, 2023.

By imposing new duties on local agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 8586.9 is added to the Government Code, to read:

8586.9.

(a) (1) The Office of Emergency Services shall develop state recovery frameworks for California’s catastrophic plans.

(2) The governing body of a political subdivision shall develop regional recovery frameworks for California’s catastrophic plans. The Office of Emergency Services shall provide technical assistance in the development of regional recovery frameworks.

(b) In developing recovery frameworks, the Office of Emergency Services and the governing bodies of political subdivisions shall incorporate lessons learned from recent major disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The recovery frameworks shall be consistent with guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and shall address, at a minimum, the following recovery support functions that comprise the coordinating structure for key functional areas of assistance in the National Disaster Recovery Framework:

(1) Economic recovery. This support function focuses on the ability to return economic and business activities (including agricultural) to a state of health and develop new economic opportunities that result in a sustainable and economically viable community.

(2) Health and social services. This support function recognizes healthcare is an economic driver in many communities, which if damaged make this sector critical to most communities’ disaster recovery. Social services have a major impact on the ability of a community to recover. The support of social services programs for at-risk and vulnerable children, individuals, and families affected by a disaster can promote a more effective and rapid recovery.

(3) Infrastructure systems. This support function works to efficiently facilitate the restoration of infrastructure systems and services to support a viable, sustainable community and improves resilience to, and protection from, future hazards.

(4) Housing. This support function coordinates and facilitates the delivery of government resources to implement housing solutions that effectively support the needs of the whole community and contribute to its sustainability and resilience. Housing is a critical and often challenging component of disaster recovery, but must be adequate, affordable, and accessible to make a difference for the whole community.

(5) Community planning and capacity building recovery. This support function strives to restore and strengthen state, territorial, tribal, and local governments’ ability to plan for recovery, engage the community in the recovery planning process, and build capacity for local plan implementation and recovery management. Recovery planning in the postdisaster environment builds short- and long-term community resilience, empowers local leaders and stakeholders, and improves recovery outcomes for the individual and the community.

(6) Natural and cultural resources. This support function facilitates the integration of capabilities of the government to support the protection of natural and cultural resources and historic properties through appropriate response and recovery actions to preserve, conserve, rehabilitate, and restore them consistent with postdisaster community priorities and in compliance with applicable environmental and historical preservation laws and executive orders.

(d) The Office of Emergency Services shall, to the greatest extent possible, use federal preparedness grant funding to offset the state, local, and tribal government costs associated with developing the recovery frameworks described in this section.
~~(d)~~

(e) For purposes of this section, “catastrophic plans” include the following disaster response plans developed by the Office of Emergency Services or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or both:

(1) Northern California Catastrophic Flood Response Plan of 2018.

(2) Bay Area Earthquake Plan of 2016.

(3) Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake and Tsunami Plan of 2013.

(4) Southern California Catastrophic Earthquake Response Plan of 2010.

SEC. 2.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

SEC. 3.

This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

In order to enhance California’s recovery planning to address the immediate threats to public health and safety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, catastrophic wildfires, earthquakes, and floods, it is necessary for this act to take effect immediately.