Bill Text: CA SB109 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Department of Forestry and Fire Protection: Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2021-09-23 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 239, Statutes of 2021. [SB109 Detail]

Download: California-2021-SB109-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  May 20, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 109

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Introduced by Senator Dodd

January 06, 2021

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An act to add and repeal Section 8586.8 to the Government Code, relating to emergency services.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 109, as amended, Dodd. Office of Emergency Services: Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development.

Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, establishes, within the office of the Governor, the Office of Emergency Services, under the direction of the Director of Emergency Services for the purpose of mitigating the effects of natural, manmade, or war-caused emergencies.

This bill would would, until January 1, 2029, establish the Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development within the Office of Emergency Services under the direct control of the Director of the Office of Emergency Services. The bill would make the office responsible for studying, testing, and advising regarding procurement of emerging technologies and tools in order to more effectively prevent and suppress wildfires, and serving as the central organizing hub for the state government’s identification of emerging wildfire technologies, as provided.

Digest Key

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

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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) Catastrophic wildfires pose an urgent threat to lives, property, and resources in California.

(b) Seventeen of the 20 largest wildfires in California history have occurred since 2000, and six of the seven largest wildfires occurred in 2020 alone.

(c) The escalating frequency and devastation caused by wildfires demand ongoing research and development of emerging wildfire technologies and tools to prevent, monitor, identify, and suppress wildfires developed by public, private, and nonprofit entities in order to protect lives and property from the effects of wildfires.

SEC. 2.

 Section 8586.8 is added to the Government Code, to read:

8586.8.

 (a) For purposes of this section, “office” means the Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development.

(b) The Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development is hereby established in state government within the Office of Emergency Services to study, test, and advise regarding procurement of emerging technologies and tools in order to more effectively prevent and suppress wildfires within the state. The office shall serve as the central organizing hub for the state government’s identification of emerging wildfire technologies.

(c) The office shall be under the direct control of the director.

(d) The office shall undertake, but is not limited to, the following activities:

(1) Develop a balanced, multimodal research and development program designed to identify, research, and test emerging technologies and tools designed to prevent and suppress wildfires.

(2) Work with public, private, and nonprofit entities in identifying new technologies and tools.

(3) Make recommendations to state and local agencies on the most effective and useful technologies and tools for procurement.

(e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2029, and as of that date is repealed.