BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Senator Isadore Hall, III
Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: AB 1980 Hearing Date: 6/28/2016
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|Author: |Irwin |
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|Version: |5/11/2016 Amended |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant:|Felipe Lopez |
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SUBJECT: Memorial to California firefighters: modifications
DIGEST: This bill authorizes the California Fire Foundation
(CFF), in consultation with the Department of General Services
(DGS), to prepare a plan to construct modifications to the
existing memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol, which may
include the construction of a new wall within the existing
footprint of the memorial that would include the names of
additional fallen firefighters.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Authorizes the construction of a memorial to California
firefighters on the grounds of the State Capitol, but
prohibits the expenditure of state funds for purposes of the
memorial.
2)Requires firefighters' memorial ceremonies, including the
dedication of the memorial and any subsequent ceremonies, to
be conducted by the CFF, in consultation with the Assembly
General Research Committee on Fire, Police, Emergency, and
Disaster Services.
This bill:
1)Authorizes the CFF, in consultation with DGS, to prepare a
AB 1980 (Irwin) Page 2 of ?
plan to construct modifications to the memorial to California
firefighters on the grounds of the State Capitol, which may
include the construction of a new wall within the existing
footprint of the memorial that would include the names of
additional fallen firefighters.
2)Specifies that if the CFF prepares a plan to modify the
memorial, DGS shall do all of the following:
a) Review preliminary design plans for the modifications
and identify potential maintenance concerns.
b) Ensure that the proposed modifications comply with the
requirements of the American with Disabilities Act of 1990
and any other applicable building standards for work to be
carried out at the existing memorial.
c) Ensure that the proposed modifications comply with the
requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act
and any other applicable building standards for work to be
carried out at the existing memorial.
d) Review the final construction documents to ensure that
all applicable requirements are met.
e) Prepare the right-of-entry permit outlining the final
area of work, final construction documents and permits,
construction plans, and the name of the contractor who will
perform the work, and verify that the contractor is
properly licensed and insured, including maintaining
adequate personal liability insurance for damage to state
property.
f) Conduct inspections of the construction performed by the
contractor selected by the foundation
3)Requires the CFF, in consultation with DGS, to establish a
schedule for the design and construction, implement procedures
to solicit designs, devise a selection process for the choice
of the design for the modifications, and report to the Joint
Committee on Rules on the proposed modifications.
4)Requires the CFF to submit a plan for proposed modifications
of the memorial to DGS and the Joint Committee on Rules for
their review and approval.
5)Prohibits the construction of any proposed modification until
the master plan of the State Capitol Park is approved and
adopted by the Joint Committee on Rules, or until January,
2021, whichever occurs first.
AB 1980 (Irwin) Page 3 of ?
6)Prohibits any modifications unless the Joint Committee on
Rules and the Department of Finance have verified that
sufficient private donations have been secured to complete
construction of the modifications.
7)Requires all modification to the memorial to be funded
exclusively through private donations secured by the CFF.
Background
Purpose of the bill. According to the author, "today, the
California Firefighters Memorial serves as a lasting tribute to
the men and women who have given their lives helping to protect
their fellow Californians. AB 1980 will allow the CFF to plan
and construct an addition to the California Firefighters
Memorial. The construction of the project cannot occur until
the master plan of the State Capitol Park is approved and
adopted by the Joint Committee on Rules, or until January 1,
2021, whichever occurs first."
California Firefighters Memorial. The California Firefighters
Memorial is a lasting tribute to the men and women who have
given their lives to help protect their fellow Californians.
The memorial includes two bronze statues depicting firefighters
in action. One statue features four firefighters working
together. The other, created by a firefighter, shows an
anguished firefighter removing his "fallen brother" from a fire
scene.
Prominently featured along with the statues is a Memorial Wall,
listing the names of over 1,100 men and women who made the
ultimate sacrifice as California firefighters. Names are listed
chronologically, and include the name of the department in which
the firefighter served.
The Memorial's design, construction and maintenance are financed
entirely by donations made to the CFF. The bulk of these
donations were made by firefighters through the purchase of the
special Firefighter License Plate. Financing also came through
a special state tax check-off.
Prior/Related Legislation
AB 2704 (Gipson, 2016) authorizes the placement of a bust of
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Mervyn M. Dymally in the Capitol Annex. (Pending in Senate
Governmental Organization Committee)
AB 2358 (Hagman, Chapter 682, Statutes of 2012) authorized the
construction of a memorial in the State Capitol Building Annex
to honor former Governor and United States President, Ronald
Reagan.
AB 3198 (Areias, Chapter 1217, Statutes of 1992) authorized the
construction of the memorial to California firefighters on the
grounds of the State Capitol.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.: Yes Local: No
SUPPORT:
CAL FIRE Local 2881
California Professional Firefighters (Source)
California Historic State Capitol Commission
California Fire Chiefs Association
OPPOSITION:
None received
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: The California Professional
Firefighters states that, "to ensure that Californians can
continue to honor the brave professionals who keep our state's
communities safe, it is imperative that ample, respectful space
for our fallen firefighters' names is available at the
California Firefighters Memorial site on the grounds of the
State Capitol. To achieve this, AB 1980, is needed to allow the
Memorial to be modified within its existing footprint. Doing
so, will facilitate the expansion of wall space in a manner
sufficient to inscribe the names of our fallen for decades to
come."