BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SCR 21
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          Date of Hearing:  April 30, 2009

                             ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES
                                 Ted W. Lieu, Chair
                    SCR 21 (Kehoe) - As Introduced:  March 9, 2009

           SENATE VOTE  :   34-0
           
          SUBJECT  :  The Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency  
          Management.

           SUMMARY  :  Continues in existence of the Joint Legislative  
          Committee on Emergency Services and Homeland Security (Joint  
          Committee), renames it as the Joint Legislative Committee on  
          Emergency Management, and authorizes the Joint Committee to act  
          until November 30, 2010.  Specifically,  this resolution  makes  
          the following legislative findings:  

          1)In November 2003, a Blue Ribbon Fire Commission (Commission)  
            was established to conduct a review of the efforts to fight  
            the October 2003 fires and present recommendations to make  
            California less vulnerable to disasters of such enormity in  
            the future; and, in its report to the Governor, the Commission  
            recommended, among other things, the establishment of a  
            permanent Joint Committee.

          2)The Joint Committee was established by Resolution Chapter 144,  
            Statutes of 2004, and was reestablished in 2005 and 2006 to  
            continue in existence until November 30, 2006.

          3)The Joint Committee shall be in existence until November 30,  
            2010; shall exercise all of the rights, duties, and powers  
            conferred upon investigative committees including making  
            recommendations as to legislation and forming technical  
            advisory committees to assist in its duties; and, the Senate  
            Committee on Rules may make Senate Operating Funds available  
            to support the Joint Committee which would consist of 14  
            members (7 Senators and 7 Assembly Members).  

          4)The failed governmental response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005  
            indicates an immediate need to continue to assess and improve upon  
            California's emergency preparedness and response plans, especially  
            in the areas of:  the specific roles of local, state, and federal  
            agencies; evacuation planning; interoperable communication  
            systems; emergency warning protocols; and, private sector  








                                                                  SCR 21
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            preparedness.

          3)California is the site of some of the most extraordinary  
            natural disasters in North America, including fires,  
            earthquakes, floods, landslides, mudslides, insect  
            infestations and drought; and, the emerging threat of avian  
            and pandemic flue could also present unprecedented challenges  
            to the state's public health system and place at risk the  
            state's residents and our economy.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  None


          Analysis Prepared by  :    Anna McCabe / RLS. / (916) 319-2800