BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  ACR 38
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          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          ACR 38 (Bonnie Lowenthal)
          As Amended June 1, 2011
          Majority vote
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |     |(March 25,      |SENATE: |36-0 |(June 6, 2011) |
          |           |     |2011)           |        |     |               |
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                (adopted by unanimous vote)

          Original Committee Reference:    RLS.  

           SUMMARY  :  Continues in existence the Joint Legislative Committee 
          on Emergency Management (Joint Committee), comprised of seven 
          Members of the Senate and seven Members of the Assembly, as 
          specified, to address California's emergency management issues, 
          until abolished by the Legislature.

           The Senate amendments  :

          1)Require the continuous existence of the Joint Committee until 
            abolished by the Legislature. 

          2)Require the Joint Committee to report biennially to the 
            Governor and the Legislature the Joint Committee's progress 
            and recommendations on the status of the services and policies 
            necessary to address public safety and essential emergency 
            management services and policies. 

          3)Make minor technical clarifications.

           AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this resolution made 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 








                                                                  ACR 38
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            continue in existence until November 30, 2010.

          3)The Joint Committee shall be in existence until November 30, 
            2012; 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.

          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 
            preparedness.



          5)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 ongoing threat of avian and 
            pandemic flu 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 



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