Amended in Senate April 22, 2015

Amended in Senate April 6, 2015

Senate Bill No. 494

Introduced by Senator Hill

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(Coauthor: Senator Hertzberg)

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February 26, 2015

An act to add Section 8587.9 to the Government Code, relating to emergency services.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 494, as amended, Hill. Emergency services: seismic safety and earthquake-related programs.

Existing law creates, within the office of the Governor, the Office of Emergency Services which, under the Director of Emergency Services, coordinates disaster response, emergency planning, emergency preparedness, disaster recovery, disaster mitigation, and homeland security activities. Existing law requires various entities, including the Office of Emergency Services, through a public-private partnership, to develop a comprehensive statewide earthquake early warning system in California that includes certain features, including the installation of field sensors.

This bill would create the California Earthquake Safety Fund and would require moneys in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be used for seismic safety and earthquake-related programs, including the earthquake early warning system described above. The bill would authorize the fund to accept grants, contributions, and appropriations from public agencies, private foundations, entities, or individuals for purposes of carrying out its provisions.

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

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

SECTION 1.  

Section 8587.9 is added to the Government Code,
to read:

8587.9.  

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that there is a
critical need for a consistent and coordinated approach to seismic
safety and earthquake-related programs in the State of California
through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. These
programs may include, but are not limited to, earthquake response,
recovery, warning, mitigation, planning, research, preparedness,
training and exercises, hazard grants, public information, and
education. This approach includes the coordination of state
agencies and departments that have responsibilities to monitor and
respond to, and to recover from, earthquakes and to assist the
citizens and businesses in California. In order to facilitate the
requirements of Section 8587.8, the Legislature establishes the
begin insert California end insert Earthquake Safety Fund within the State Treasury.

(b) (1) The California Earthquake Safety Fund is hereby created
in the State Treasury. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the
moneys in the fund shall be used for seismic safety and
earthquake-related programs, including the statewide earthquake
early warning system described in Section 8587.8.

(2) The California Earthquake Safety Fund may accept grants,
contributions, and appropriations from public agencies, private
foundations, entities, or individuals for purposes of carrying out
the provisions of this section.