BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1620
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Date of Hearing: April 30, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 1620 (Rodriquez) - As Amended: April 22, 2014
Policy Committee: Governmental
Organization Vote: 13-3
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the California Emergency Management and
Disaster Preparedness Commission (Commission) as a statewide
executive-level commission to assess and improve the condition
of the state's emergency preparedness, management, and disaster
recovery capabilities. The Commission is charged with ensuring,
among other things:
1)Effective coordination across all levels of government to
minimize loss of life.
2)Every locality has planned for disasters.
3)The public is provided with reliable and timely information
during a disaster.
The Commission is specifically required to make specific
recommendations on:
1)Vulnerabilities in the state's health care, energy,
transportation, communication, and other response systems
infrastructure.
2)The availability of adequate equipment, fuel, food, water, and
emergency supplies.
3)The ability of first responders and critical personnel to
communicate effectively with each other and have access to
adequate resources.
FISCAL EFFECT
AB 1620
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Depending on the annual number of meetings, commission activity,
frequency of commissioner travel, per diem, and staffing needs,
annual costs to GF likely in the range of $200,000 to $600,000.
COMMENTS
1) Purpose. According to the author, AB 1620 creates a mechanism
for assessing the status of intergovernmental coordination on
emergency planning, communication protocols, disaster
response, and crisis management across the state. The author
further states that the California State Legislature and
people of California have very little information about state
preparedness, emergency plans, and response activities.
2) Background. In 2012, the Governor's reorganization plan
eliminated the California Emergency Council, of which the
Legislature had been a part, and transformed the California
Emergency Management Agency from an agency-level organization
into part of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services
(OES). According to the author, this change has decreased
legislative and public oversight and accountability.
3) California's Emergency Preparedness. California has many
state agencies and many more local agencies with leadership or
supporting responsibilities for emergency preparedness. OES
has primary responsibility for leading California's emergency
preparedness efforts, including coordination of other state
and local agencies, and has broad powers to direct other state
agencies in advance of, and during, emergencies. California's
overall emergency preparedness has been the subject of several
detailed analyses and studies, both external and within state
government, which have made recommendations for improvements.
The California Emergency Plan describes the process and
methods for executing emergency services and operations,
mutual aid between agencies, mobilization of resources,
information to the public, and ensuring continuity of
government during a disaster. The plan is designed to outline
the activities of all jurisdictions within a statewide
emergency management system and leverage the resources of the
broader emergency management community, including individuals,
businesses, non-governmental organizations, tribal
governments, other states, the federal government, and
international agencies. The plan authorizes OES to take such
AB 1620
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actions as are necessary and proper to protect against
emergency and disaster risks.
4) Prior Legislation. AB 918 (Cooley), Chapter 187, Statutes of
2013, required OES, on or before July 31, 2015, to update the
California Emergency Plan to include proposed best practices
for local governments and nongovernmental entities to use to
mobilize and evacuate people with disabilities and others with
access and functional needs during an emergency or natural
disaster.
Analysis Prepared by : Joel Tashjian / APPR. / (916) 319-2081