Bill Text: CA SB494 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Emergency services: seismic safety and earthquake-related programs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-10-11 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 799, Statutes of 2015. [SB494 Detail]
Download: California-2015-SB494-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: SB 494 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 799
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 11, 2015
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 11, 2015
PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 3, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 13, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 22, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 6, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Senator Hill
(Coauthor: Senator Hertzberg)
FEBRUARY 26, 2015
An act to amend Section 8587.8 of, and to add Section 8587.9 to,
the Government Code, relating to emergency services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 494, Hill. Emergency services: seismic safety and
earthquake-related programs.
Existing law creates, within the office of the Governor, the
Office of Emergency Services which, under the Director of Emergency
Services, coordinates disaster response, emergency planning,
emergency preparedness, disaster recovery, disaster mitigation, and
homeland security activities. Existing law requires, subject to the
identification of funding by January 1, 2016, various entities,
including the Office of Emergency Services, through a public-private
partnership, to develop a comprehensive statewide earthquake early
warning system in California that includes certain features,
including the installation of field sensors. Existing law repeals
this early warning system requirement on January 1, 2016, if the
funding is not identified. It also requires the office to file with
the Secretary of State a determination that funding was not
identified by January 1, 2016.
This bill would instead require the identification of funding for
the earthquake early warning system to occur by July 1, 2016, and
would make conforming changes.
This bill would create the California Earthquake Safety Fund and
would require moneys in the fund, upon appropriation by the
Legislature, be used for seismic safety and earthquake-related
programs, including the earthquake early warning system described
above. The bill would authorize the fund to accept federal funds,
funds from revenue bonds, local funds, and funds from private sources
for purposes of carrying out its provisions, and would make
conforming changes.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 8587.8 of the Government Code is amended to
read:
8587.8. (a) The Office of Emergency Services, in collaboration
with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the California
Geological Survey, the University of California, the United States
Geological Survey, the Alfred E. Alquist Seismic Safety Commission,
and other stakeholders, shall develop a comprehensive statewide
earthquake early warning system in California through a
public-private partnership, which shall include, but not be limited
to, the following features:
(1) Installation of field sensors.
(2) Improvement of field telemetry.
(3) Construction and testing of central processing and
notification centers.
(4) Establishment of warning notification distribution paths to
the public.
(5) Integration of earthquake early warning education with general
earthquake preparedness efforts.
(b) In consultation with stakeholders, the Office of Emergency
Services shall develop an approval mechanism to review compliance
with earthquake early warning standards as they are developed. The
development of the approval mechanism shall include input from a
broad representation of earthquake early warning stakeholders. The
approval mechanism shall accomplish all of the following:
(1) Ensure the standards are appropriate.
(2) Determine the degree to which the standards apply to providers
and components of the system.
(3) Determine methods to ensure compliance with the standards.
(4) Determine requirements for participation in the system.
(c) The Office of Emergency Services shall identify funding for
the system described in subdivision (a) through single or multiple
sources of revenue that shall be limited to federal funds, funds from
revenue bonds, local funds, and funds from private sources. The
Office of Emergency Services shall not identify the General Fund as a
funding source for the purpose of establishing the system described
in subdivision (a), beyond the components or programs that are
currently funded.
(d) Subdivisions (a) and (b) shall not become operative until the
Office of Emergency Services identifies funding pursuant to
subdivision (c).
(e) (1) If funding is not identified pursuant to subdivision (c)
by July 1, 2016, this section is repealed unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2017, deletes or extends
that date.
(2) The Office of Emergency Services shall file with the Secretary
of State its determination that funding was not identified pursuant
to subdivision (c) by July 1, 2016.
SEC. 2. Section 8587.9 is added to the Government Code, to read:
8587.9. (a) The Legislature finds and declares that there is a
critical need for a consistent and coordinated approach to seismic
safety and earthquake-related programs in the State of California
through the Governor's Office of Emergency Services. These programs
may include, but are not limited to, earthquake response, recovery,
warning, mitigation, planning, research, preparedness, training and
exercises, hazard grants, public information, and education. This
approach includes the coordination of state agencies and departments
that have responsibilities to monitor and respond to, and to recover
from, earthquakes and to assist the citizens and businesses in
California. In order to facilitate the requirements of Section
8587.8, the Legislature establishes the California Earthquake Safety
Fund within the State Treasury.
(b) (1) The California Earthquake Safety Fund is hereby created in
the State Treasury. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the
moneys in the fund shall be used for seismic safety and
earthquake-related programs, including the statewide earthquake early
warning system described in Section 8587.8.
(2) Pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 8587.8, the California
Earthquake Safety Fund may accept federal funds, funds from revenue
bonds, local funds, and funds from private sources for purposes of
carrying out the provisions of this section.
