BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2791
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 21, 2010

                   ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
                                   Joe Coto, Chair
                AB 2791 (Committee on Governmental Organization) - As  
                             Introduced:  March 17, 2010
           
          SUBJECT  :   California Emergency Management Agency.

           SUMMARY  :   Makes various statutory and technical changes to  
          reflect the merger of the former Office of Emergency Services  
          (OES) and the former Office of Homeland Security (OHS) into the  
          California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) in January 1,  
          2009.   Specifically,  this bill  :  

             1)   Delineates statutory authority for administration of the  
               programs and functions formerly under the Office of  
               Criminal Justice Planning (OCJP).

             2)   Eliminates all statutorily mandated legislative reports  
               and requires Cal EMA to provide one comprehensive biennial  
               report.

             3)   Consolidates two statutorily mandated curriculum  
               development committees.

             4)   Makes relating technical and conforming changes.   

           EXISTING LAW  :

             1)   Merges the Office of Emergency Services and the Office  
               of Homeland Security to establish the California Emergency  
               Management Agency. 

             2)   Requires the California Emergency Management Agency to  
               be responsible for the state's emergency and disaster  
               response services, and requires state entities to cooperate  
               with the California Emergency Management Agency in carrying  
               out its duties.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   Unknown.

           COMMENTS  :   This bill, sponsored by Cal EMA, seeks to clean up  
          several technical changes to accurately reflect the merger of  
          OES and OHS into Cal EMA, a cabinet-level agency.  In addition,  








                                                                  AB 2791
                                                                  Page  2

          this bill delineates statutory authority for administration of  
          the programs and functions formerly nested under OCJP. 

          The Budget Act of 2003 eliminated OCJP and specified that the  
          "Director of Finance shall designate an agency or agencies to  
          carry out the functions of the Office of Criminal Justice  
          Planning in accordance with a plan submitted pursuant to Section  
          25 of the Budget Act of 2003?" (Penal Code Section 13820).  The  
          "designated agency or agencies" has never been clearly  
          delineated in statute.

          When OES and OHS were merged to become Cal EMA in January 2009,  
          various codes sections were not updated to reflect this change  
          in responsibility.  Additionally, when the former OCJP was  
          abolished, its responsibilities were redirected to OES, now Cal  
          EMA.  Existing law does not clearly place these programs and  
          functions within Cal EMA.
           Prior legislation  .  AB 38 (Nava, Chapter 372, Statutes of 2008)   
          merges the Office of Emergency Services and the Office of  
          Homeland Security to create the California Emergency Management  
          Agency.  Requires the California Emergency Management Agency to  
          be the agency responsible for overseeing and coordinating  
          emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and homeland  
          security activities.

           AB 1757 (Committee on Budget, Chapter 229, Statutes of 2003)   
          eliminates the Office of Criminal Justice Planning and specified  
          that the Director of Finance shall designate an agency or  
          agencies to carry out the functions of the Office of Criminal  
          Justice Planning in accordance with a plan submitted pursuant to  
          Section 25 of the Budget Act of 2003. 

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           
          California Emergency Management Agency (sponsor)

           Opposition 
           
          None on file
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Rod Brewer / G. O. / (916) 319-2531