Bill Text: CA SB821 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Enrolled

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

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Bill Title: Emergency notification: county jurisdictions.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)

Status: (Passed) 2018-09-21 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 615, Statutes of 2018. [SB821 Detail]

Download: California-2017-SB821-Enrolled.html

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Enrolled  September 07, 2018

Passed  IN  Senate  August 31, 2018

Passed  IN  Assembly  August 31, 2018

Amended  IN  Assembly  August 23, 2018

Amended  IN  Assembly  August 16, 2018

Amended  IN  Assembly  June 25, 2018

Amended  IN  Senate  March 12, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 821

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Introduced by Senator Jackson
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Limón)

January 03, 2018

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An act to add Section 8593.4 to the Government Code, relating to emergency services.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 821, Jackson. Emergency notification: county jurisdictions.

The California Emergency Services Act establishes the Office of Emergency Services in the office of the Governor and provides that the office is responsible for the state’s emergency and disaster response services for natural, technological, or manmade 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 defines “emergency plan” for purposes of emergency services provided by local governments and requires each county, including a city and county, upon the next update to its emergency plan, to integrate access and functional needs into its emergency plan by addressing, at a minimum, how the access and functional needs population, as defined, is served by emergency communications, evacuation, and sheltering.

This bill would authorize each county, including a city and county, to enter into an agreement to access the contact information of resident accountholders through the records of a public utility or other agency responsible for water service, waste and recycling services, or other property-related services for the sole purpose of enrolling county residents in a county-operated public emergency warning system. The bill would require any county that enters into such an agreement to include procedures to enable any resident to opt out of the warning system and a process to terminate the receiving agency’s access to the resident’s contact information. The bill would prohibit the use of the information gathered for any purpose other than for emergency notification.

Digest Key

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

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 8593.4 is added to the Government Code, to read:

8593.4.

 (a) A county, including a city and county, may enter into an agreement to access the contact information of resident accountholders through the records of a public utility or other agency, including an electrical or gas corporation, local publicly owned electric utility, public water agency, or other agency responsible for water service, waste and recycling services, or other related services for a property address, for the sole purpose of enrolling county residents in a county-operated public emergency warning system.

(b) A county, including a city and county, that enters into an agreement to access information pursuant to subdivision (a) shall include procedures to enable any resident to opt out of the warning system and a process to terminate the receiving agency’s access to the contact information of the resident from a public utility or other agency, including an electrical or gas corporation, local publicly owned electric utility, public water agency, or other agency responsible for water service, waste and recycling services, or other related services for a property address. A county, or city and county, may not use the information gathered for any purpose other than for emergency notification. The receiving agency shall ensure that the confidentiality of the contact information is protected under reasonable security procedures.

(c) For purposes of this section, “contact information” means a person’s name, address, telephone numbers, and email address.

(d) Notwithstanding any other law, a public utility or other agency, including an electrical or gas corporation, local publicly owned electric utility, public water agency, or other agency responsible for water service, waste and recycling services, or other related services for a property address, shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability for the accuracy of, or any use, nonuse, or improper release of, the contact information it provides to the county under this section, including, without limitation, for any deficiencies or inaccuracies of the contact information provided.