BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2021
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 5, 2010

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                  AB 2021 (Fletcher) - As Amended:  March 24, 2010 

          Policy Committee:                              Governmental  
          Organization Vote:                            20 - 0 
                        Higher Education                        9 - 0 

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill authorizes the State Fire Marshal (SFM) to delegate  
          his or her authority to a designated campus fire marshal on a  
          University of California (UC) campus. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          There are no net costs associated with this legislation.  
          Shifting responsibility from the SFM to a designated campus fire  
          marshal would result in an annual loss of Fire and Life Safety  
          reimbursement revenue for the SFM of approximately $500,000.  
          Those fees, however would be paid by the UC system; therefore  
          this legislation would result in a $500,000 savings for UC. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . According to the author, the University of  
            California has been working with the SFM to renew an existing  
            memorandum of understanding (MOU).  However, the Acting State  
            Fire Marshal has voiced a concern that the relationship  
            between the SFM and UC is based only on an MOU and is not  
            codified in statute. This legislation is an attempt to codify  
            the relationship.
           
          2)Office of the State Fire Marshal  . The SFM is responsible for  
            the protection of life and property from fire and panic in all  
            state-owned and state-occupied buildings.  These facilities  
            include office buildings, state hospitals and developmental  
            centers, auditoriums, state prisons, universities,  
            dormitories, laboratories, classrooms, and day care centers.  








                                                                  AB 2021
                                                                  Page  2


           3)Current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)  . For many years, the  
            University of California and the SFM operated under an MOU  
            that allows designated campus fire marshals to oversee campus  
            construction projects. The intent of this MOU was to avoid  
            delaying construction until the SFM could review and approve  
            projects. Over time, that MOU grew to include mandated  
            inspections regarding compliance with fire and life safety  
            standards in existing university buildings. 

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081