BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
2051 (Tran)
Hearing Date: 8/12/2010 Amended: A I
Consultant: Bob Franzoia Policy Vote: G O 8-0
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 2051 would authorize the California Emergency
Management Agency (CalEMA) to prepare, in voluntary cooperation
with specific local governmental and nongovernmental entities, a
specialized plan to mobilize senior citizens and disabled
persons during an emergency or natural disaster.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Fund
Prepare local or community Unknown costs, potentially
minor General
wide plan to mobile senior
citizens and disabled persons
during an emergency
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STAFF COMMENTS: SUSPENSE FILE. AS PROPOSED TO BE AMENDED.
Government Code 8569 requires the Governor to coordinate the
State Emergency Plan necessary for the mitigation of the effects
of an emergency in this state, coordinate the preparation of
plans and programs for the mitigation of the effects of an
emergency by the political subdivisions of this state and
integrate such plans and programs into the State Emergency Plan.
Government Code 8588.15 states that the Director of CalEMA shall
appoint representatives of the disabled community to serve on
the evacuation, sheltering, communication, recovery, and other
pertinent Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)
committees. Representatives of the disabled community shall, to
the extent practicable, be from the following groups:
(1) Persons who are blind or visually impaired.
(2) Persons with sensory or cognitive disabilities.
(3) Persons with physical disabilities.
Within the SEMS structure, the director shall ensure the needs
of the disabled community are met by ensuring all committee
recommendations regarding preparedness, planning, and procedures
relating to emergencies include the needs of people with
disabilities. Additionally, the director shall produce a report
regarding emergency evacuations, prepare and disseminate
brochures and materials on emergency evacuations and seek
research funds to develop technologies that will assist in the
evacuation of the groups noted above.
In the State Emergency Plan Section 7.4.2 addresses populations
with access and functional needs specifying evacuation plans
must incorporate disability and older adult
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AB 2051 (Tran)
transportation providers for identifying and the movement of
people with mobility impairments and those with transportation
disadvantages. The section identifies individuals in need of
additional response assistance to include those who:
(1) Have disabilities.
(2) Live in institutionalized settings.
(3) Are elderly.
(4) Are children.
(5) Are from diverse cultures.
(6) Have limited English proficiency or are non English
speaking; or who are transportation disadvantaged.
The plan identifies the following state entities and their
evacuation and transportation duties:
- Business, Transportation and Housing Agency serves as the lead
agency for coordinating emergency activities related to
transportation and evacuation.
- California Highway Patrol provides patient movement and
evacuation, including aero evacuation coordinated with the
Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA).
- EMSA organizes the evacuation of injured individuals to
medical facilities outside the
impacted area and coordinates the movement, reception and care
of patients during an
evacuation.
- Caltrans develops routing and directions for the movement of
incident victims out of an impacted area and the delivery of
necessary personnel and medical supplies to local medical
facilities and shelters.
- Department of Aging provides personnel to support senior
issues and functionally impaired adults.
- Department of Development Services maintains demographic and
health information on individuals with developmental
disabilities, provides limited medical staff and medical and
other specialized/adaptive equipment and supplies for
individuals residing in state-operated facilities. Coordinates
with regional centers to identify, notify and respond to the
needs of the developmental services community.
- Department of Public Health Supports local jurisdictions in
safe evacuation of patients from healthcare facilities due to
disaster. Provides assistance/coordination in identifying
facilities needing evacuation, setting evacuation
prioritizations and in facility re-population.
- Department of Rehabilitation compiles and maintains lists of
staff for sign language and fluency in other languages.
Prepares crucial emergency materials in alternate format
(Braille) and large print for people who are blind or visually
impaired.
- National Guard Assists with evacuating threatened populations,
provides transportation (land and air) and in coordination with
EMSA can assist with managing casualty evacuation from hospitals
and casualty collection points. Provides ground and air
transportation assets.
- CalFire assists with evacuating threatened populations.
The proposed amendment would revise Government Code 8588.17, as
added by the bill, as follows:
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AB 2051 (Tran)
SECTION 1. Section 8588.17 is added to the Government Code, to
read:
8588.17. The California Emergency Management Agency is
authorized to prepare a specialized local or community-wide plan
to mobilize senior citizens and disabled persons during an
emergency or natural disaster in cooperation with local
governmental and nongovernmental entities that provide
transportation services to senior citizens and disabled persons
and that volunteer to participate in the preparation of the
plan.