California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 1429


Introduced by Assembly Member Chiu

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Nazarian)

February 27, 2015


An act relating to earthquake mitigation repairs.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1429, as introduced, Chiu. Earthquake mitigation retrofit program: homes.

Existing law establishes a program within all cities and all counties and portions thereof located within seismic zone 4, as described, to identify all potentially hazardous buildings, as defined, establish a mitigation program for these buildings, and file a report on the programs with the Seismic Safety Commission. Among other tax incentives, the Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law allow various credits against the taxes imposed by those laws.

This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would create and fund a program to assist California homeowners with earthquake mitigation repairs to their homes.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P1    1

SECTION 1.  

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:

P2    1(1) The earthquakes of 2014 that affected the Cities of La Habra
2and Napa have generated increased interest in mitigating
3single-family homes against earthquake damage.

4(2) The California Earthquake Authority and the Office of
5Emergency Services plan to expand the Earthquake Brace + Bolt
6Program to 650 homes in 2015.

7(3) The California Earthquake Authority is working with the
8Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Applied
9Technology Council, a nonprofit research organization, to develop
10the “ATC-110. Redevelopment of a Prestandard for the Evaluation
11and Retrofit of One and Two Family Light Frame Residential
12Buildings” for retrofitting additional types of single-family homes.

13(4) A well-funded program to encourage homeowners to mitigate
14their homes would mean more homes would survive an earthquake
15and homeowners who retrofit their homes would receive actuarially
16justified lower rates for earthquake insurance.

17(5) Only 12 percent of California homeowners currently
18purchase earthquake insurance, leaving the vast majority of
19homeowners unprotected in the event of a major earthquake.

20(6) There are many paths to funding a retrofit program, including
21income tax credits, sales tax rebates, attaching the financing to
22property taxes, and grants.

23(b) Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to enact
24legislation that would create and fund a program to assist California
25homeowners with earthquake mitigation repairs to their homes.



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