Bill Text: CA AB277 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Extreme Weather Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2023-09-01 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB277 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB277-Amended.html

---

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 22, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 277

---

Introduced by Assembly Member Rodriguez

January 23, 2023

---

An act to add amend Section 8586.10 to 8586.7 of the Government Code, relating to state government.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 277, as amended, Rodriguez. Extreme Weather Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center.

Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, establishes, within the office of the Governor, the Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), under the direction of the Director of Emergency Services for the purpose of mitigating the effects of natural, human-made, or war-caused emergencies. Existing law establishes the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL-FIRE) and establishes various programs for the prevention and reduction of wildfires. Existing law requires Cal OES and CAL-FIRE to jointly establish and lead the Wildfire Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center, and sets forth the functions and duties of the center, including serving as the state’s integrated central organizing hub for wildfire forecasting. Existing law establishes the Department of Water Resources within the Natural Resources Agency and sets forth its powers and duties relating to water resources.

This bill would rename the center as the Wildfire and Extreme Weather Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center and would require the Department of Water Resources, along with Cal OES and CAL-FIRE, to lead the center. The bill would expand the center’s mission to include analyzing atmospheric river data and other threat indicators that could lead to catastrophic floods and to reduce the severity of flood incidents that could endanger the safety of persons, property, and the environment by developing and sharing intelligence products related to atmospheric river weather conditions and potential flood conditions for government decisionmakers. The bill would require the center to serve as the state’s integrated central organizing hub for atmospheric river forecasting and coordinate extreme weather intelligence and data sharing among federal, state, and local agencies, among others, as specified.

Existing law requires that the center be comprised of representatives from specified organizations, including, Cal OES, CAL-FIRE, and a representative of publicly owned utilities and other designated members appointed jointly by the Director of Emergency Services and the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection.

This bill would require that center include representatives from the Department of Water Resources and the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. The bill would also require that a representative of publicly owned utilities and other designated members be appointed by the Director of Water Resources jointly with the Director of Emergency Services and the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Existing law requires the center to, among other things, develop intelligence products for use by public and private sector entities engaged in wildfire risk mitigation efforts and develop a statewide wildfire forecast and threat intelligence strategy, as provided.

This bill would additionally require the center to develop intelligence products for use by public and private sector entities engaged in flood risk mitigation efforts and an atmospheric river forecast strategy, as provided. The bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, authorize Cal OES to use, among other funding sources, the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, to enhance the state’s ability to predict and prepare the state for the local impacts of forecasted fire weather and atmospheric rivers. The bill would also make various findings and declarations in this regard.

Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, creates, within the office of the Governor, the Office of Emergency Services, which is responsible for addressing natural, technological, or human-caused disasters and emergencies, including responsibility for activities necessary to prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of emergencies and disasters to people and property. Existing law establishes the Department of Water Resources within the Natural Resources Agency and sets forth its powers and duties relating to water resources.

This bill would require the office and the department to jointly establish and lead the Extreme Weather Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center for the purpose of collecting, assessing, and analyzing extreme weather data and atmospheric conditions, as specified. The bill would require that the center be composed of representatives from specified organizations and would authorize the office and the department to invite other organizations to designate additional representatives, as specified.

This bill would require the center to share intelligence and data relevant to weather threat, forecasting, detection, and prevention activities received from utility weather and emergency operations centers, partner academic institutions, private companies, and other sources in coordination with certain organizations, as specified. The bill would require the center to develop and disseminate timely and actionable intelligence products and would permit use of those products by emergency managers, public safety officials, and local public and private sector entities engaged in emergency preparedness efforts.

This bill would require the center to develop a statewide extreme weather forecast and threat intelligence strategy and would authorize use of that strategy by agencies to improve how extreme weather threats are identified, understood, and shared for the purpose of reducing threats to California government, businesses, and consumers. The bill would prescribe the manner in which the center would conduct information sharing, including the protection and safeguarding of sensitive information. The bill would make various findings and declarations in this regard.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

---

Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Extreme weather incidents, including excessive heat and atmospheric rivers, pose an urgent threat to lives, property, and resources in California.

(b) The escalating frequency and devastation caused by extreme weather events, including excessive heat and atmospheric rivers, demand heightened levels of coordination, intelligence sharing, and utilization of technologies among agencies and organizations to monitor weather conditions and assess risk in order to protect lives and property from the effects of extreme weather incidents.

(c) Investor-owned utilities and communications providers are likely to experience a greater frequency of disruptions in service due to extreme weather incidents.

(d) The California Emergency Services Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8550) of Division 1 of Title 2) authorizes the Governor to take actions to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the effects of natural or human-caused emergencies that endanger life, property, and the state’s resources, and further authorizes the Office of Emergency Services, established within the Governor’s office, and its director to take actions to coordinate emergency planning, preparedness, and response activities.

SEC. 2.

 Section 8586.7 of the Government Code is amended to read:

8586.7.

 (a) (1) The office office, the Department of Water Resources, and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection shall jointly establish and lead the Wildfire and Extreme Weather Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center.

(2) The Wildfire and Extreme Weather Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center’s primary mission shall be to collect, assess, and analyze fire and atmospheric river weather data, atmospheric conditions, and other threat indicators that could lead to catastrophic wildfire or floods and to reduce the likelihood and severity of wildfire and flood incidents that could endanger the safety of persons, property, and the environment by developing and sharing intelligence products related to fire weather and weather, fire threat conditions conditions, atmospheric river weather conditions, and potential flood conditions for government decisionmakers.

(3) The Wildfire and Extreme Weather Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center shall serve as the state’s integrated central organizing hub for wildfire forecasting, atmospheric river forecasting, weather information, and threat intelligence gathering, analysis, and dissemination, and shall also coordinate wildfire threat and extreme weather intelligence and data sharing among federal, state, and local agencies, tribal governments, utilities and other service providers, academic institutions, and nongovernmental organizations.

(b) (1) The Wildfire and Extreme Weather Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center shall be comprised of representatives from the following organizations:

(A) The Office of Emergency Services.

(B) The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

(C) The Department of Water Resources.

(C)

(D) The Public Utilities Commission.

(D)

(E) The Military Department.

(E)

(F) The University of California.

(F)

(G) The California State University.

(G)

(H) The California Utilities Emergency Association.

(H)

(I) At least one representative of investor-owned utility companies, appointed by the President of the Public Utilities Commission.

(J) The Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego.

(I)

(K) At least one representative of publicly owned utilities, appointed jointly by the Director of Emergency Services Services, the Director of Water Resources, and the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection.

(J)

(L) Other members as designated jointly by the Director of Emergency Services Services, the Director of Water Resources, and the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection.

(2) The office and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection may invite the following organizations to designate representatives to the Wildfire Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center:

(A) The National Weather Service.

(B) The United States Forest Service.

(c) The Wildfire and Extreme Weather Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center shall share intelligence and data relevant to wildfire and flood threat, forecasting, detection, and prevention activities received from utility wildfire wildfire, extreme weather and emergency operations centers, partner academic institutions, private companies, and other sources in coordination with all of the following:

(1) The Northern California Geographic Area Coordination Center and the Southern California Geographic Area Coordination Center, inclusive of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s predictive services unit.

(2) The California Wildland Fire Coordinating Group.

(3) The National Weather Service.

(4) The State Operations Center within the office. office, for the purpose of sharing relevant emergency preparedness information for state and local emergency management partners.

(5) The California State Warning Center within the office.

(d) The Wildfire and Extreme Weather Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center shall do all of the following:

(1) Provide intelligence and data in compliance with National Fire Danger Rating System standards and guidelines about wildfire threats to government agencies and designated alerting authorities, as that term is defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 8594.16.

(2) Develop intelligence products for use by public and private sector entities engaged in wildfire and flood risk mitigation efforts.

(e) The Wildfire and Extreme Weather Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center shall develop a statewide wildfire and atmospheric river forecast and threat intelligence strategy to improve how wildfire and flood threats are identified, understood, and shared in order to reduce threats to California government, businesses, and consumers. The strategy shall strengthen wildfire and flood emergency preparedness and response, standardize the implementation of environmental monitoring and assessment, enhance forecasting and detection capabilities, maximize the use of science and technology, and expand public knowledge and awareness of wildfire and flood risks.

(f) The Wildfire and Extreme Weather Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center shall be a signatory to the interagency California Fire Weather Annual Operating Plan.

(g) Information sharing by the Wildfire and Extreme Weather Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center shall be conducted in a manner that protects and safeguards sensitive information, preserves business confidentiality, and enables public officials to detect, investigate, respond to, prevent, and recover from catastrophic wildfires that threaten public health and safety and economic stability.

(h) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the office may use, among other funding sources, the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, to enhance the state’s ability to predict and prepare the state for the local impacts of forecasted fire weather and atmospheric rivers.

SEC. 2.Section 8586.10 is added to the Government Code, to read:

8586.10.

(a)(1)The Office of Emergency Services and the Department of Water Resources shall jointly establish and lead the Extreme Weather Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center.

(2)The center’s primary mission shall be to collect, assess, and analyze extreme weather data, atmospheric conditions, and other threat indicators that could lead to catastrophic floods, mudslides, tsunamis, or extreme heat and to reduce the likelihood and severity of extreme weather incidents that could endanger the safety of persons, property, and the environment by developing and sharing intelligence products related to extreme weather for government decision makers, local emergency managers, and public safety officials.

(3)For the purposes of this section, “center” means the Extreme Weather Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center established pursuant to this section.

(b)(1)The center shall be composed of representatives from the following organizations:

(A)The Office of Emergency Services.

(B)The Department of Water Resources.

(C)The Public Utilities Commission.

(D)The Military Department.

(E)The California State University.

(F)The California Utilities Emergency Association.

(G)At least one representative of investor-owned utility companies, appointed by the President of the Public Utilities Commission.

(H)At least one representative of publicly owned utilities, appointed jointly by the Director of Emergency Services and the Director of Water Resources.

(I)Other members as designated jointly by the Director of Emergency Services and the Director of Water Resources.

(2)The Office of Emergency Services and the Department of Water Resources may invite the following organizations to designate representatives to the center:

(A)The National Weather Service.

(B)The United States Army Corps of Engineers.

(C)The University of California.

(c)The center shall share intelligence and data relevant to extreme weather threat, forecasting, detection, and prevention activities received from utility weather and emergency operations centers, partner academic institutions, private companies, and other sources in coordination with all of the following:

(1)The Flood Operations Center within the Department of Water Resources.

(2)The National Weather Service.

(3)The State Operations Center within the Office of Emergency Services.

(4)The California State Warning Center within the Office of Emergency Services.

(d)The center shall develop and disseminate timely and actionable intelligence products that may be used by emergency managers, public safety officials, and local public and private sector entities engaged in emergency preparedness efforts.

(e)The center shall develop a statewide extreme weather forecast and threat intelligence strategy that may be used by agencies to improve how extreme weather threats are identified, understood, and shared in order to reduce threats to California government, businesses, and consumers. The goal of the strategy shall be to strengthen emergency preparedness and response, standardize the implementation of environmental monitoring and assessment, enhance forecasting and detection capabilities, maximize the use of science and technology, and expand public knowledge and awareness of extreme weather risks.

(f)Information sharing by the center shall be conducted in a manner that protects and safeguards sensitive information, preserves business confidentiality, and enables public officials to detect, investigate, respond to, prevent, and recover from catastrophic weather incidents that threaten public health and safety and economic stability.