BILL ANALYSIS
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AJR 1
Author: Blakeslee (R)
Amended: 5/12/09 in Assembly
Vote: 21
WITHOUT REFERENCE TO COMMITTEE OR FILE
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 73-0, 5/14/09 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Earthquake damage: mitigation planning
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution states the Legislatures support
of the expedient development of mitigation efforts across
the state by federal, state, and local governmental
entities, in cooperation with private enterprises and
individuals, to protect against earthquake damage.
ANALYSIS : This resolution makes the following
legislative findings:
1. The United States Geological Survey has predicted an
earthquake with a magnitude 6.7 or greater in California
within the next 30 years.
2. The Hayward Fault near San Francisco is predicted to
certainly rupture again with greater force than the 1989
Loma Prieta earthquake.
CONTINUED
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3. On November 13, 2008, the Great California ShakeOut
organized a drill where millions of people in homes,
schools, businesses, government offices, and public
places all over southern California practiced what to do
during an earthquake, and called the event the Great
California ShakeOut Drill.
4. Results of the Great California ShakeOut Drill showed
that a large earthquake in southern California would
cost approximately $213 billion, including business
interruption, and could result in the death of
approximately 1,800 people.
5. The last major earthquake on the Hayward Fault was 140
years ago, and the last five earthquakes on this fault
have come, on average, 140 years apart.
6. Recent reports have confirmed that mitigation techniques
can greatly improve the structural stability of a
building and dramatically improve the safety of its
occupants.
7. Mitigation against earthquake damage is dramatically
more cost-effective than repairing buildings after a
great earthquake, and economic loss from halted business
and interrupted services can also be avoided by
retrofitting buildings before an earthquake strikes.
8. The astronomical costs of repair that occur after a
devastating national disaster often fall on the
government.
This resolution states the Legislature's support of the
expedient development of mitigation efforts across the
state by federal, state, and local governmental entities,
in cooperation with private enterprises and individuals, to
protect against earthquake damage.
Comments
The Working Group on the California Earthquake
Probabilities, a multi-disciplinary group of scientists and
engineers from the United States Geological Survey and the
Southern California Earthquake Center, forecasts a 99
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percent chance of magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake
striking California within the next 30 years. According to
the author's office, if the epicenter of the earthquake is
in a highly populated area such as Los Angeles, the damage
could result in the death of 1,800 people and $213 billion
in property losses.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Bill Berryhill,
Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield, Brownley,
Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Chesbro,
Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeVore,
Duvall, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong,
Fuller, Furutani, Galgiani, Gilmore, Hagman, Hall,
Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman,
Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie
Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande,
Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel Perez,
Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Silva, Skinner,
Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres,
Torrico, Tran, Villines, Yamada
NO VOTE RECORDED: Ammiano, Fuentes, Gaines, Garrick,
Saldana, Smyth, Bass
CTW:mw 6/24/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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