BILL NUMBER: SB 1122	CHAPTERED  09/01/99

	CHAPTER   294
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   SEPTEMBER 1, 1999
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   AUGUST 31, 1999
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 23, 1999
	PASSED THE SENATE   MAY 24, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   APRIL 13, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Alarcon

                        FEBRUARY 26, 1999

   An act to add Section 8587.7 to the Government Code, relating to
seismic safety, and making an appropriation therefor.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1122, Alarcon.  Seismic safety:  schools:  earthquake hazards.
   Existing law sets forth the duties of the Office of Emergency
Services in planning and coordinating disaster mitigation and
response efforts in the state.
   This bill would require the office, in cooperation with the State
Department of Education, the Department of General Services, and the
Seismic Safety Commission, to develop an educational pamphlet for use
by grades K-14 personnel to identify and mitigate the risks posed by
nonstructural earthquake hazards.  It would further require the
office to print and distribute the pamphlet to the governing board of
each school district and community college district in the state,
along with a copy of the current edition of the office's school
emergency response publication.
   This bill also would require the office to make these publications
available to private elementary or secondary schools, upon request,
and on the Internet, as soon as feasible.
   The bill would appropriate $75,000 from the General Fund to the
office for the purposes of the bill.
   Appropriation:  yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) The January 17, 1994, Northridge earthquake, measuring 6.8
magnitude on the Richter Scale, and its aftershocks, caused major
damage in southern California.
   (b) Structural damage in schools was minimal.  Fortunately, the
quake occurred at 4:31 a.m., but if students had been present, many
could have been injured by nonstructural elements, such as light
fixtures, ceilings, storage cabinets, and broken glass, that fell or
collapsed during the earthquake.
   (c) Affected school districts suffered many millions of dollars in
damage, lost both computerized and written records, closed schools
for one to eight weeks, and had to undertake massive cleanup and
repair efforts.  This massive disruption to schools was caused, for
the most part, by damage to the contents of the school buildings, not
to the buildings themselves.
   (d) The Long Beach earthquake of 1933 demonstrated the hazards of
structural collapse of school buildings and generated the building
code requirements delineated in the Field Act.  Field Act designed
buildings performed very well in the Northridge earthquake; there was
some structural damage, but no life-threatening building collapse.
However, the Northridge earthquake made it clear that nonstructural
hazards inside our schools might be deadly.
  SEC. 2.  Section 8587.7 is added to the Government Code, to read:
   8587.7.  (a) The Office of Emergency Services, in cooperation with
the State Department of Education, the Department of General
Services, and the Seismic Safety Commission, shall develop an
educational pamphlet for use by grades K-14 personnel to identify and
mitigate the risks posed by nonstructural earthquake hazards.
   (b) The office shall print and distribute the pamphlet to the
governing board of each school district and community college
district in the state, along with a copy of the current edition of
the office's school emergency response publication.  The office shall
also make the pamphlet or the current edition of the office's school
emergency response publication available to a private elementary or
secondary school upon request.
   (c) The office, as soon as feasible, shall make the pamphlet and
the current edition of the office's school emergency response
publication available by electronic means, including, but not limited
to, the Internet.
  SEC. 3.  The sum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) is
hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of Emergency
Services for the purposes of this act.