BILL NUMBER: AB 1930 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 6, 2008
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 10, 2008
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Torrico
( Coauthor: Assembly Member
Nava )
FEBRUARY 12, 2008
An act to add Section 8588.16 to , the
Government Code, relating to emergency services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1930, as amended, Torrico. Emergency services: populations with
limited English proficiency.
Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, creates the
Office of Emergency Services in the office of the Governor. Under the
act, the Director of Emergency Services is required to coordinate
the emergency services of all state agencies in connection with
emergencies, and the office is required to establish a standardized
emergency management system for use by all emergency response
agencies.
This bill would require the Director of Emergency Services to
consider the multiple languages and needs of populations who have
limited proficiency in the English language and to incorporate their
needs in emergency preparedness planning, response, and recovery
training. The bill would also require the director to
provide incorporate local ethnic community-based
organizations and ethnic media outlets with
in communication plans to alert them about emergency
information and to use a registry of qualified bilingual persons in
public contact positions, as defined, to assist in emergencies. The
bill would require the director to provide specified information to
local and regional governmental entities to improve emergency
preparedness, response, and recovery for populations who have limited
proficiency in the English language.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) Approximately 40 percent of the population in this state
speaks a language other than English at home. According to the United
States Department of Justice, individuals with limited proficiency
in English are those who have a limited ability to read, write,
speak, or understand English. In this state, approximately 7,000,000
residents have limited proficiency in English.
(b) Recent disasters have highlighted the vulnerabilities of
individuals during an emergency who have limited proficiency in
English. At least 19,641 individuals within the Hurricane Katrina and
Hurricane Rita disaster areas spoke English with difficulty, and a
report presented to the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus,
highlighted the lack of evacuation orders during the Hurricane
Katrina disaster in any language other than English, leaving
individuals with limited proficiency in English vulnerable.
(c) In this state, the recent wildfires in southern California
struck parts of cities having a significant population of individuals
with limited proficiency in English, potentially affecting almost
30,000 300,000 such individuals. News
reports highlighted the frustration and confusion during evacuations
for individuals unable to understand English.
(d) The Milton Marks "Little Hoover" Commission on California
State Government Organization and Economy has also highlighted the
need for developing plans to ensure that the needs of vulnerable
populations, including those with limited proficiency in English,
will be met during a catastrophe.
(e) This state, with its extraordinary language diversity, must
take steps to ensure emergency preparedness, response, and recovery
to address the needs of individuals with limited proficiency in
English.
SEC. 2. Section 8588.16 is added to the Government Code, to read:
8588.16. (a) During The director shall
take into consideration the multiple languages and the needs of
populations with limited English proficiency during emergency
preparedness planning, response, and recovery, including when
developing committee recommendations within the Standardized
Emergency Management System structure, drafting guidance for local
and regional governmental entities, and reviewing emergency plans of
state, regional, and local governmental entities , the
director shall consider the multiple languages and needs of
populations who have limited proficiency in the English language.
.
(b) The director shall incorporate local ethnic community-based
organizations and ethnic media outlets in the communication plan so
that they may be alerted with about
information regarding emergency preparedness, response, and recovery.
(c) The director shall utilize a registry of qualified bilingual
persons in public contact positions, as defined in Sections 7296 and
7297, to assist with emergency preparedness, response, and recovery
pursuant to Section 8595. In using this registry, the director shall
also identify and address populations without adequate qualified
bilingual persons in public contact positions.
(d) The director shall incorporate the needs of populations with
limited English proficiency in all emergency preparedness, response,
and recovery training and exercises, including the exercises
identified in the statewide exercise strategy.
(e) The director shall coordinate with stakeholders, such as
community-based organizations and advocacy groups representing the
needs of individuals with limited proficiency in the English language
and with local and regional governmental entities, and provide the
following information to local and regional governmental entities to
improve emergency preparedness, response, and recovery for the
population described in subdivision (a):
(1) Methods for local and regional governmental entities to
maintain on a continuing basis, the capability to administer
competent language services.
(2) Available translated materials related to emergency
preparedness, response, and recovery that could be utilized by local
and regional governmental entities and the best practices for
publicizing this information to populations with limited proficiency
in the English language.
(3) Methods for local and regional governmental entities to make
emergency preparedness, response, and recovery information, such as
emergency notifications and public broadcasts, available in a format
that can be understood by populations with limited proficiency in the
English language.
(4) A process to assist local and regional governmental entities
to develop partnerships with local ethnic community-based
organizations and ethnic media outlets.
(5) A model standard agreement for the procurement of language
services for emergency preparedness, response, and recovery
activities.
(6) Examples highlighting the needs of populations with limited
proficiency in the English language to use in emergency preparedness,
response, and recovery trainings and exercises.
(7) References, created pursuant to Section 8589.6, to assist
local and regional entities to develop disaster registry programs.