BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
AB 2281 (Torres) - Emergencies: State 911 Advisory Board
Amended: June 27, 2012 Policy Vote: 9-4
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: July 2, 2012 Consultant: Bob Franzoia
This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill Summary: AB 2281 would add two members selected by the
Legislature to the State 911 Advisory Board (board). This bill
would also require the board, upon request of a local public
agency, to conduct a hearing on any conflict between a local
public agency and the Public Safety Communications Division
regarding that agency's 911 emergency telephone system and cost
reimbursement decisions.
Fiscal Impact: Minor costs to add two board members.
Unknown, likely significant costs annually to the State
Emergency Telephone Number Account to conduct hearings and
make recommendations.
Cost pressure on the State Emergency Telephone Number
Account to the extent board recommendations lead to
increased reimbursements.
Background: Under current law, the California 911 Emergency
Communications Office (office) within the California Technology
Agency develops and updates technical and operational standards
for 911 emergency telephone systems. Local public agencies are
required to comply with the technical and operational standards
developed by the office. The board advises the office on issues
relating to the state's 911 emergency telephone system.
Proposed Law: The State 911 Advisory Board has 11 members, with
the chief of the office as the nonvoting chair and the following
voting members:
- One representative from the Department of the California
Highway Patrol.
- Two representatives on the recommendation of the California
Police Chiefs Association.
- Two representatives on the recommendation of the California
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State Sheriffs' Association.
- Two representatives on the recommendation of the California
Fire Chiefs Association.
- Two representatives on the recommendation of the CalNENA
Executive Board.
- One representative on the joint recommendation of the
executive boards of the state chapters of the Association of
Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, Inc.
Current law provides that the recommended members should have at
least two years of experience as a public safety answering point
manager or county coordinator. All board members serve at the
pleasure of the Governor for two-year terms and are limited to
two consecutive terms. The board is required to meet at least
quarterly in open session. Board members are not paid but may
be reimbursed for travel and per diem.
Government Code 53115.2 requires the board to (1) advise the
office on policies and procedures, technical and operational
standards for the 911 emergency telephone system, training
standards for county coordinators and public safety answering
point managers, the State Emergency Telephone Number Account
budget and local agency reimbursement decisions, and rollout of
Enhanced 911 technology and (2) to conduct hearings.
Upon request of a local public agency, the board shall conduct a
hearing on any conflict between a local public agency and the
division regarding a final plan that has not been approved by
the division pursuant to Government Code 53114. The board shall
meet within 30 days following the request, and shall make a
recommendation to resolve the conflict to the division within 90
days following the initial hearing by the board pursuant to the
request.
Government Code 53114 has no language about approval of a 911
plan. It appears only one such hearing has ever held.
Related Legislation: AB 2459 (Torres) would require the
California 911 Emergency Communications Office to develop and
implement a public education campaign to instruct the public on
appropriate and inappropriate uses of the 911 emergency
telephone system. That bill is on today's file.
Staff Comments: There are 462 local public agencies representing
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cities, counties, joint powers agencies, special districts and
state agencies (CalFire and the California Highway Patrol).
This bill provides to local public agencies the ability to
contest any cost reimbursement decision in a final plan and not,
as currently permitted, only a disclaimed cost reimbursement.
Presumably, cost reimbursement decisions would be any costs
related to the establishment of a local emergency telephone
system as set forth in Government Code 53108.1.
This analysis estimates travel and per diem costs of $20,000 to
$25,000 per board meeting. Because the board must meet within
30 days following a request, this analysis estimates an
additional four meeting annually ($80,000 to $100,000) and
office staff costs of $1,000 to $5,000 to review and analyze a
request and make a recommendation to resolve the conflict. If
ten percent of the 462 local public agencies submit requests
annually, costs would range between $46,000 and $230,000. A
recommendation by the board to increase cost reimbursements
would result in cost pressure as bill does not require the
division to accept, or reject, the recommendation.
Staff notes that according to the governor's budget proposal,
expenditures in the State Emergency Telephone Number Account are
projected to total about $123.5 million in 2011-12, while
revenues will total only $81.2 million. This operating
shortfall is covered by a $15.3 million carryover balance in the
account plus repayment of a $28 million loan made from the
account to the General Fund as part of the 2010-11 Budget Act.
The account is projected to have a balance of only $1 million as
of June 30, 2013. Some increase in the surcharge rate will
likely be necessary to address the apparent structural imbalance
in the fund in addition to funding the costs of this bill.
This bill contains provisions similar to AB 770 (Torres) 2011
which is on the Suspense File.