BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                     SB 494  


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          Date of Hearing:  August 19, 2015


                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS


                                 Jimmy Gomez, Chair


          SB 494  
          (Hill) - As Amended May 13, 2015


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          Urgency:  No  State Mandated Local Program:  NoReimbursable:  No


          SUMMARY:


          This bill creates the California Earthquake Safety Fund to be  
          used for seismic safety and earthquake-related programs,  
          including the statewide earthquake early warning system.  Funds  
          for the earthquake early warning system may include federal,  
          revenue bond, local, and private funds, and the new earthquake  
          fund will be authorized to accept funds only from those sources.  



          FISCAL EFFECT:










                                                                     SB 494  


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          Negligible fiscal impact to the Office of Emergency Services  
          (OES), which oversees earthquake preparedness programs; minor  
          and absorbable costs to the State Treasurer to establish the new  
          fund.  Any cost pressure to implement the earthquake early  
          warning system will not result in General Fund costs as current  
          law prohibits OES from using General Fund resources for the  
          program.


          COMMENTS:


          1)Purpose.  According to the author, existing law requires OES  
            to develop a comprehensive statewide earthquake early warning  
            system, but does not establish a fund for accepting grants or  
            contributions to implement the program.  The author asserts  
            the California Earthquake Safety Fund will help OES implement  
            safety and earthquake-related programs. 


          2)Seconds Before The Big One.  Technology exists that can detect  
            moderate and large earthquakes in time to send a warning  
            signal prior to the arrival of destructive seismic waves.   
            Depending on a particular location's distance from the  
            epicenter, the advanced warning could range from a few seconds  
            to a minute, allowing certain critical systems such as power  
            stations, transport, and hospitals to cease or modify  
            activities to minimize damage.  It could also allow OES to  
            notify affected people directly via mobile text, TV, radio,  
            and the internet. 


            The best-known earthquake early warning system operates in  
            Japan, which has over 1,000 sensors and a centralized  
            processing center that analyzes sensor data and distributes  
            warning information.  During the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and  
            tsunami, the system provided approximately 80 seconds of  
            advanced warning to residents of Tokyo and is credited with  
            significantly reducing damage and loss of life.








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          3)Modest Ambitions.  SB 135 (Padilla, Statutes of 2013) required  
            OES to develop an earthquake early warning system in  
            California, though it required OES to fund the program from  
            sources other than the General Fund.  As the state  
            increasingly looks to reprioritize long-term capital projects,  
            the Legislature may wish to consider whether earthquake early  
            warning ought to receive greater focus and resources.


          Analysis Prepared by:Joel Tashjian / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081