BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 438
Page 1
Date of Hearing: August 3, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
SB 438
(Hill) - As Amended August 1, 2016
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Policy |Governmental Organization | |20 - 0 |
|Committee: | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill establishes the California Earthquake Early Warning
Advisory Board (Board) within the California Office of Emergency
Services (CalOES). Specifically, this bill:
SB 438
Page 2
1)Requires the Board to include 7 voting members that include
the following:
a) The Secretaries, or their designees, of the California
Natural Resource Agency, the California Health and Human
Services Agency, the California Department of
Transportation, and the California Business Consumer
Services, and Housing Agency.
b) Two members appointed by the Legislature, with one
member representing the interests of private business who
is appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly and the other
member representing county government who is appointed by
the Senate Committee on Rules.
c) One member representing the utilities industry appointed
by the Governor.
2)Requires the Board to include one nonvoting member from the
California State University and one nonvoting member from
University of California.
3)Requires the Board to convene periodically and advise CalOES
on all aspects of the program, including system operations,
research and development, finance and investment, and training
and education.
4)Requires CalOES, in consultation with the Board, to develop
and submit a business plan by February 1, 2018, of the early
earthquake warning program to the Legislature and the
Legislative Analyst's Office, and requires CalOES each year
thereafter to report to the Legislature annually on the
SB 438
Page 3
implementation progress.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)Minor and absorbable costs to CalOES to support the Board.
2)Minor cost pressures to develop a business plan and report
annually to the Legislature. This bill codifies an existing
plan to develop a plan for implementing an early earthquake
system, and the reporting requirements for CalOES established
in this bill will result in minor and absorbable cost
pressures.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. The author's office provided the following statement
following the June 30, 2016 amendments: "SB 438 eliminates
current restrictions on public funding and creates an advisory
board to support the implementation of a statewide earthquake
early warning system that will help save lives and protect the
public before temblors strike. An earthquake early warning
system is a must in California, the second most
seismologically active state. It's not if, but when the next
Big One will strike.
Depending on the location and strength of an earthquake, an
early warning system can give an alert of up to 60 seconds
before the shaking starts. Even a few seconds of warning can
provide time for residents to drop and cover, can enable
trains to come to a complete stop or slow down, and much
more."
SB 438
Page 4
2)Background. In 2013 the California Legislature passed and the
Governor signed SB 135 (Chapter 342, Statutes of 2013), which
required CalOES to develop a comprehensive statewide
earthquake early warning system in California. The bill also
required CalOES to identify funding for the system, but
specifically prohibited General Fund money to be used. SB 135
also specified that if funding was not identified by January
1, 2016, the provisions of the bill would be repealed. SB 494
(Chapter 799, Statues of 2015), delayed this dateline to July
1, 2016.
The California Geological Survey (CGS) estimates its costs
associated with developing the system would be approximately
$23 million in the first year and approximately $16 million
annually thereafter. These costs include realigning CGS'
ground stations, purchasing additional instrumentation,
upgrading existing instrumentation and communications
networks, and staffing the system 24 hours a day, seven days a
week.
The 2016-17 budget includes an increase of $10 million GF to
CalOES to support the implementation of the California
Earthquake Early Warning System. The funding will be used to
perform research on necessary technology and other aspects
that will integrate public and private infrastructure, provide
public education, and provide training.
3)Business plan. SB 438 also codifies the implementation of the
SB 438
Page 5
early earthquake system by defining the scope of the business
plan to be completed by February 1, 2018. That plan must
include a plan for funding the early earthquake warning system
and the source of those funds, the role of private entities
and local emergency staff in the participation of the program,
and the expected risks the program may encounter.
Analysis Prepared by:Luke Reidenbach / APPR. / (916)
319-2081