BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
423 (Torres)
Hearing Date: 8/17/2009 Amended: 7/14/2009
Consultant: Bob Franzoia Policy Vote: E, U&C 11-0
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 423 would require the review of technical and
operational standards for 911 systems by the Office of the Chief
Information Officer (OCIO) to include standards for recruitment
and training of public safety dispatchers. This bill would add
one representative from the Commission on Peace Officer
Standards and Training and one representative from the Office of
the State Fire Marshall to the State 911 Advisory Board. This
bill would also modify the requirement that the State 911
Advisory Board advise the OCIO on training standards for county
coordinators and 911 system answering point managers to also
advise the OCIO concerning issues related to the receipt of
calls in a language other than English.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Fund
Expanded 911 system $85 $170 $170 Special*
recruitment and training
standards
* State Emergency Telephone Number Account (1760-0022)
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STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
The Governor's Reorganization Plan (GRP) No. 1 of the 2009-10
Session is intended to consolidate statewide information
technology (IT) functions under the OCIO. By creating a central
IT organization, the Governor hopes the state will leverage the
state's IT program for greater coordination and efficiency while
reducing costs, saving the state approximately $1.5 billion over
the next five years. The GRP is based on a recent Little Hoover
Commission report that proposed realigning IT resources,
including placing the Department of Technology Services (DTS)
under the OCIO.
For the purposes of this bill, the GRP proposes to integrate
four agencies - the OCIO, the Office of Information Security and
Privacy Protection (Office of Information Security), DTS, and
the Department of General Services (DGS) telecommunication
division - into an expanded OCIO.
Current law requires 911 systems serving areas where more than
five percent of the population speaks a primary language other
than English to have operators who speak that language available
on duty or through a telephone conference at all times. This
requirement has been met through a contract with a foreign
language translation service provider.
Chapter 443/1976 provided for a surcharge on intrastate
communications services and
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AB 423 (Torres)
later Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service, to be
deposited in the State Emergency Telephone Number Account. This
account was created to fund the costs of planning and
implementing a uniform three digit telephone number through
which emergency services can be obtained. Revenue and Taxation
Code 41030 provides that DGS shall determine annually a
surcharge rate that it estimates will produce sufficient revenue
to fund the current fiscal year's 911 system costs, though in no
event shall such a surcharge rate in any year be greater than
three fourths of one percent nor less than one half of one
percent.
This account has a 2009-10 fund balance estimated at $95,253,000
after total expenditures of $127,741,000 on total resources of
$222,994,000.
The OCIO estimates the need for two telecommunications systems
manager 1 positions. At a mid salary range of $5,328 plus 33
percent for benefits, annual costs would be approximately
$170,000 to develop and implement the training and recruitment
program requirements.