Disaster Relief

Disaster Relief Legislation

Disaster Relief Legislation

SB 23* (Sher-D) Office of Emergency Services

Reappropriates funds related to the administration of grants at the Office of Emergency Services.

Chapter 44, Statutes of 2004

SB 438* (Soto-D) Disaster relief: tax deduction

Adds the Southern California wildfires that occurred during October and November 2003 and the San Simeon earthquake that occurred during December 2003 to the list of disasters eligible for full state reimbursement of local agency costs under the Disaster Assistance Act. Adds these disasters to the list of disasters eligible for special net operating loss carryforward treatment under the Personal Income and Corporation Tax Laws.

Vetoed by the Governor

Similar legislation was SB 1147 (Hollingsworth-R), which became Chapter 792, Statutes of 2004 and AB 1510 (Kehoe-D), which became Chapter 772, Statutes of 2004.

SB 694 (Senate Natural Resources And Wildlife Committee) Omnibus bill

Among other provisions, deletes obsolete language relating to seismic activity along the San Andreas Fault, north of Los Angeles, the Southern California Earthquake Preparedness Project and the Bay Area Regional Earthquake Preparedness Project.

Chapter 224, Statutes of 2004

SB 902 (Burton-D) Firefighting equipment

Enacts the Response and Rescue Fire Engine Act of 2004. Specifically, (1) requires the Director of the State Office of Emergency Services to acquire 150 fire engines to be used to respond to terrorist acts, fires, floods, earthquakes, or other disasters, (2) requires these engines be assigned to the State Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and local fire fighting entities such as cities and counties, (3) creates the continuously appropriated Response and Rescue Fire Engine Fund in the State Treasury, and (4) transfers $25 million from the Federal Trust Fund to the Response and Rescue Fire Engine Fund.

Vetoed by the Governor

SB 1102* (Senate Budget And Fiscal Review Committee) Budget trailer bill: general government

Among other provisions, eliminates the provisions of law establishing the Earthquake Grants and Loans program within the State Department of Insurance.

Chapter 227, Statutes of 2004

SB 1132* (Brulte-R) Wildfire and disaster relief

Requires the State Department of Water Resources to give preference to projects designed to restore, repair, rehabilitate, or replace water management projects damaged or destroyed as a consequence of fires or other natural disasters.

(Failed passage in Assembly Environmental Quality Committee)

SB 1147* (Hollingsworth-R) Disaster relief

Provides property tax and income tax relief for those who suffered losses as a result of the 2003 fires and earthquake, and 2004 flooding.

Chapter 792, Statutes of 2004

Similar legislation was SB 438 (Soto-D), which was vetoed by the Governor and AB 1510 (Kehoe-D), which became Chapter 774, Statutes of 2004.

SB 1228 (Perata-D) Disaster relief: housing assistance

Allows loans, made by the State Department of Housing and Community Development to victims of natural disasters, under certain circumstances, to be assumed by a relative who is a member of the household of the original borrower.

Chapter 569, Statutes of 2004

SB 1363 (Ducheny-D) Hotel and motel rates: disasters

Prohibits the owner or operator of a hotel or motel from increasing their regular advertised rates by more than 10 percent after the declaration of a state or local emergency.

Chapter 492, Statutes of 2004

SB 1537* (Soto-D) Fire and disaster relief: sales tax

Imposes an additional sales and use tax rate for a two-year period to fund fire and disaster relief associated with the 2003 California fires and general statewide fire threats.

(Died in Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee)

SB 1611 (Ducheny-D) Fire prevention and suppression

Requires the State Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (DFFP) to staff at least four people on all department fire engines, in a phased deployment, and requires DFFP to prepare a biennial California fire prevention plan.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 1066* (Liu-D) Seismic Safety Bond Act

Enacts the California Seismic Safety Bond Act of 2004, which, if adopted, authorizes the issuance, pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law, of bonds in amount of $700 million to be allocated to the California Seismic Safety Bond Fund of 2004 to fund local government building and facility seismic safety retrofit projects.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1510* (Kehoe-D) Disaster relief

Adds the Southern California wildfires that occurred during October and November 2003 and the San Simeon earthquake that occurred during December 2003 to the list of disasters eligible for full state reimbursement of local agency costs under the Disaster Assistance Act and for full state reimbursement of local property tax losses. Provides favorable net operating loss treatment for losses resulting from the two aforementioned disasters, as well as the Middle River levee break that occurred in San Joaquin County in June 2004.

Chapter 772, Statutes of 2004

Similar legislation was SB 438 (Soto-D), which was vetoed by the Governor and SB 1147 (Hollingsworth-R), which became Chapter 792, Statutes of 2004.

AB 1588 (Negrete McLeod-D) Rapid Disaster Response Act

Enacts the Rapid Disaster Response Act of 2004, which authorizes the Director of the State Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (DFFP) to acquire, subject to appropriation by the Legislature, any type of helicopter or other aircraft or aircraft equipment that is appropriate to use in response to terrorist acts, fires, floods, earthquakes, and other disasters, as specified. Requires the Director of DFFP to obtain these helicopter and aircraft from the Federal Excess Property Program, and, in conjunction with the State Office of Emergency Services, may only use federal funds received from the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2004. Provides that the Director of DFFP may deploy these helicopters in various circumstances.

Vetoed by the Governor

A similar bill was AB 1612 (Kehoe-D), which died in Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 2165* (Houston-R) Disaster relief: Middle River levee break

Adds the Middle River levee break that occurred in June 2004 to the list of disasters eligible for full state reimbursement of local agency costs under the Disaster Assistance Act.

Chapter 778, Statutes of 2004

AB 3054 (Kehoe-D) Emergency communications

Requires the State Fire Marshal, all local fire departments and districts, and every city, county, and city and county to cooperatively develop a telephone system that provides evacuation orders and instructions to residents and businesses within an area subject to a pending danger.

(Died in Assembly Governmental Organization Committee)

AB 3087 (Assembly Governmental Organization Committee) State emergency plan

Requires the Governor's Office of Homeland Security, in consultation with the State Office of Emergency Services, the State Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the State Department of the California Highway Patrol, to conduct a specified study to determine the effectiveness of the state emergency plan and mutual aid system and to make a report to the Legislature by July 1, 2005.

Vetoed by the Governor

A similar bill was AB 1612 (Kehoe-D), which died in Assembly Appropriations Committee.

ACR 199 (Liu-D) Disaster Resistance Week

Declares the week of May 2, 2004, as Disaster Resistance Week and calls upon state and local governments, corporations, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and members of the public to create new and improved partnerships in order to develop cost-effective solutions to reduce the potential losses from future natural and human caused disasters.

Resolution Chapter 47, Statutes of 2004

Index (in Bill Order)