BILL ANALYSIS
Bill No: AB
2051
SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Senator Roderick D. Wright, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
Staff Analysis
AB 2051 Author: Tran
As Introduced: February 18, 2010
Hearing Date: June 22, 2010
Consultant: Art Terzakis
SUBJECT
Emergency Services
DESCRIPTION
AB 2051 authorizes the California Emergency Management
Agency (CalEMA) to prepare a specialized plan to mobilize
senior citizens and disabled persons during an emergency or
disaster in cooperation with local governmental and
nongovernmental entities that provide transportation
services to such individuals.
EXISTING LAW
The California Emergency Management Act establishes, within
the Office of the Governor, the California Emergency
Management Agency and sets forth the duties of the agency
and its secretary with respect to specified emergency
preparedness, mitigation, and response activities within
the state.
BACKGROUND
Purpose: According to the author's office, existing law
does not specifically require CalEMA to develop an
emergency plan tailored to senior citizens and disabled
people. The author's office states, "Senior citizens and
disabled people are among those who are most at risk during
a natural disaster because of their limited mobility or
non-mobile status." The author's office believes that this
AB 2051 (Tran) continued
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bill will facilitate a discussion and bring
community leaders together so that an efficient, effective
plan can be established to ensure the safety of as many
citizens as possible.
Staff Comments: In 2008, the Director of the Office of
Emergency Services created the Office of Access and
Functional Needs (OAFN) which is responsible for
identifying the needs of people with disabilities before,
during and after a disaster and to integrate disability
needs and resources into all aspects of emergency
management systems.
PRIOR/RELATED LEGISLATION
AB 1970 (Fong) 2009-10 Session. Would require counties to
assess the needs of the elderly and disabled in emergency
shelters during a declared state of emergency and to
provide and pay In-Home Supportive Services providers to
work with those individuals needing services. (Held in
Assembly Appropriations Committee Suspense File)
AB 38 (Nava) Chapter 372, Statutes of 2008. Established
the California Emergency Management Agency under the Office
of the Governor by merging the Office of Emergency Services
and the Office of Homeland Security.
SB 1451 (Kehoe) Chapter 600, Statutes of 2006. Required
the Office of Emergency Services to ensure that members of
the disabled community are represented on all pertinent
emergency preparedness committees.
AB 2990 (Levine) Chapter 620, Statutes of 2006. Required
each multipurpose senior center, administered through the
Department of Aging and each senior center, to develop an
emergency evacuation plan that meets specified criteria, no
later than June 30, 2007.
AB 450 (Yee) Chapter 604, Statutes of 2006. Required the
Office of Emergency Services to approve and adopt, and
incorporate the California Animal Response Emergency System
program into the standardized emergency management system.
AB 2051 (Tran) continued
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SUPPORT: As of June 20, 2010:
California Medical Association
OPPOSE: None on file as of June 18, 2010.
FISCAL COMMITTEE: Senate Appropriations Committee
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