BILL NUMBER: AB 1954 CHAPTERED 09/30/00 CHAPTER 958 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 30, 2000 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 29, 2000 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 25, 2000 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 24, 2000 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 7, 2000 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 24, 2000 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Jackson (Coauthors: Assembly Members Honda and Wiggins) (Coauthors: Senators Chesbro, Johannessen, and Soto) FEBRUARY 15, 2000 An act to amend Sections 15301, 15301.3, and 15301.6 of the Government Code, relating to temporary shelter. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1954, Jackson. Armories: homeless shelter. (1) Existing law requires the Military Department to make certain state armories available to specified cities and counties for use by homeless persons from December 1 through March 15 each year for emergency shelter purposes as a temporary measure to allow adequate time for governmental entities to make other homeless shelter arrangements. The Budget Act of 1999 and other uncodified provisions augmenting that act appropriated specified amounts to the Military Department and the Department of Housing and Community Development for use, as specified, for temporary shelter and emergency housing and assistance at armories or alternative facilities. This bill would revise the list of armories to be made available, as specified, require those armories to be made available from October 15 through April 15, authorize the Adjutant General to use alternate armories as necessary to meet the operational needs of the Military Department, and authorize any county or city to use any armory within its jurisdiction subject to the approval of the Adjutant General. The bill would authorize the Adjutant General, subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, to increase or decrease the number of days of operation among the armories to meet cold weather demands. The bill would require the Adjutant General to periodically report to counties on the availability of funded shelter days. (2) Existing law also provides that any county or city electing to use state armories for homeless persons shall obtain a license from the Military Department. Under existing law, each county that obtains a license from the Military Department is also required to establish a local shelter advisory committee on or before November 1, 1997. This bill would delete the November 1, 1997, deadline from the requirement that each county that obtains a license from the Military Department establish a local shelter and advisory committee. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 15301 of the Government Code is amended to read: 15301. (a) The El Centro and Calexico armories in Imperial County; the Culver City, Glendale, Inglewood, Long Beach 7th Street, Pomona, Sylmar, and West Los Angeles Federal Avenue armories in Los Angeles County; the San Rafael armory in Marin County; the Merced armory in Merced County; the Fullerton and Santa Ana armories in Orange County; the Roseville armory in Placer County; the Corona, Indio, and Riverside armories in Riverside County; the El Cajon, Escondido, and Vista armories in San Diego County; the San Mateo armory in San Mateo County; the Santa Barbara and Santa Maria armories in Santa Barbara County; the Gilroy, San Jose Hedding Street, and Sunnyvale armories in Santa Clara County; the Santa Cruz and Watsonville armories in Santa Cruz County; the Redding armory in Shasta County; the Petaluma and Santa Rosa armories in Sonoma County; and the Oxnard and Ventura armories in Ventura County, shall be made available to these counties or any city in these counties for the purpose of providing temporary shelter for homeless persons during the period from October 15 through April 15 each year. (b) The Adjutant General may, in his or her sole discretion, use alternate armories as may be necessary to meet the operational needs of the Military Department. Additionally, any county or city, including those not listed in subdivision (a), may use any armory within its jurisdiction subject to the approval of the Adjutant General. (c) Subject to appropriation in the annual Budget Act, the Adjutant General may increase or decrease the number of days of operation among all of the armories funded in any year to best meet cold weather demands as they develop. The Adjutant General shall periodically report to the counties authorized to receive funds on the ongoing availability of remaining funded shelter days. SEC. 2. Section 15301.3 of the Government Code is amended to read: 15301.3. Any county or city authorized in Section 15301 electing to use a state armory or armories for the purpose of this chapter, in consultation with the Community Advisory Committee appointed pursuant to Section 438 of the Military and Veterans Code or, if no committee has been appointed, in consultation with the Adjutant General, shall obtain a license from the Military Department with the following requirements: (a) The county or city obtaining a license shall be solely responsible for measures and costs required to comply with state and local health and safety codes during the license periods. (b) The county or city obtaining a license shall be responsible for all legal liabilities during the license periods and the state shall be held harmless in each case. (c) Except as provided in the annual Budget Act, the county or city obtaining a license shall be responsible for all costs of providing shelter in the state armory or armories to homeless persons during the license periods, including, but not limited to, all costs for minor emergency repairs, including, but not limited to, plumbing and electrical work, and shall reimburse the Military Department for all costs of providing armories for shelter operations including, but not limited to, utilities, building maintenance and repair, administrative costs, and for National Guardsman for the security of military equipment and property. (d) The county or city obtaining a license shall be solely responsible for alternative housing arrangements, including relocation measures and transportation, for homeless persons housed in state armories during the license periods, upon notification from the Military Department that the armory or armories shall be required for military activities or emergency purposes as announced by the Governor. The Military Department or the Governor shall determine the evacuation deadline. (e) The county or city obtaining a license shall be responsible for providing uniformed security personnel from one hour before the shelter opens until one hour after lights out. The county or city shall also ensure that officers from the local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the armory will conduct periodic visits to the armory on each night of operation. (f) The county or city obtaining a license shall be responsible for providing janitorial service from a licensed contractor or qualified civil service employees in order to meet state health and sanitation standards for restrooms and shower facilities. SEC. 3. Section 15301.6 of the Government Code is amended to read: 15301.6. (a) Each county that obtains a license under Section 15301.3 shall establish a local shelter advisory committee, which shall have all of the following responsibilities: (1) To address issues related to shelter operation, including, but not limited to, sanitation and security issues. (2) To ensure that the shelter maintains a "good neighbor policy." (3) To assist in finding long-term solutions for providing housing for the homeless to reduce the degree to which state armories are utilized as sites for housing homeless persons. (b) The county shall select the advisory committee, which shall include representatives from the county and cities within the county in which armories are utilized, local government planning departments, the California National Guard, homeless service providers, local peace officers, representatives of affected community organizations, and advocates for homeless persons. Counties may utilize existing homeless task forces, including, but not limited to, a task force for purposes of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), if the membership of the task force has representatives that meet all of the requirements of this subdivision.