Disasters

Disaster Relief Legislation

Disaster Relief Legislation

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SB 351 (Soto-D) Train derailment planning
Requires the Office of Emergency Services, with the assistance of the Public Utilities Commission, to lead and coordinates a joint exercise simulating a train derailment within the County of San Bernardino in the 2008 calendar year.
Vetoed by the Governor

SB 1278 (Alquist-D) Seismic Safety Commission
Renames the Seismic Safety Commission the Alfred E. Alquist Seismic Safety Commission, and places the commission within the State and Consumer Services Agency as an independent unit. Makes various substantive and technical changes relative to the operations and responsibilities of the Seismic Safety Commission.
Chapter 532, Statutes of 2006

SB 1451 (Kehoe-D) Emergency preparedness: disabled community
Requires the Office of Emergency Services to ensure that members of the disabled community are represented on all pertinent emergency preparedness committees.
Chapter 600, Statutes of 2006

SB 1479 (Soto-D) Disaster response
Requires the Office of Emergency Services to prepare a disaster site on the Internet, create a disaster-response model, and evaluate the state's disaster preparedness.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1656 (Alquist-D) Public emergency responses
Requires the Department of Social Services to convene a work group for the purpose of developing a series of findings and recommendations relative to emergency response needs of aged or disabled persons and poor families in the event of a serious public emergency.
(Died in Senate Human Services Committee)

AB 103 (Cohn-D) Pupil safety: disaster preparedness
Requires the Department of Education to electronically distribute disaster preparedness educational materials to school districts and county offices of education in at least the three most dominant primary languages spoken by English learners in California.
Chapter 696, Statutes of 2006

AB 140* (Nunez-D) Disaster relief: floods
Enacts the Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act of 2006, which authorizes, subject to voter approval at the November 7, 2006 election, $4.090 billion worth of general obligation bonds, from which sale proceeds would be allocated to infrastructure projects for flood protection and levee repair and improvement.
Chapter 33, Statutes of 2006

AB 142* (Nunez-D) Flood control
Appropriates $500 million from the General Fund to the Department of Water Resources for levee evaluation and repair and related work, and flood control system improvements
Chapter 34, Statutes of 2006

AB 260 (Bermudez-D) Fire response time reports
Requires the State Fire Marshal (SFM), in consultation with the Board of Fire Services, to adopt revised reporting regulations and to require statistical reporting information submitted to the SFM after January 1, 2007, to be compatible with the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and include data specified in the Apparatus or Resources module (NFIRS-9) and the Personnel module (NFIRS-10).
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 450 (Yee-D) Disaster response: animals
Requires the Governor's Office of Emergency Services to approve, adopt, and incorporate the California Animal Response Emergency System program into the standardized emergency management system.
Chapter 604, Statutes of 2006

AB 457 (Torrico-D) Disasters: price controls
Provides that it is unlawful for a seller within 30 days of a proclamation of a state of emergency by the Governor of California, or the President of the United States, or within 30 days of a proclamation by the Governor of an abnormal market disruption, as defined, to sell any products or services used for food, emergency cleanup, emergency supplies, medical supplies, home heating products, building materials, housing, transportation, freight, and storage services, or fuel for a price of more than 10 percent above the price charged by a seller for those products or services immediately prior to the event or occurrence that resulted in the proclamation of a state of emergency or proclamation of abnormal market disruption, except as specified.
(Died in the Assembly; being returned to the Senate)

AB 586 (Negrete McLeod-D) Medical disaster mobilization
Authorizes the designation of a Medical/Health Operational Area Coordinator in each operational area for regional disaster medical/health coordinators and others in the even of a local, state, or federal emergency. Identifies functions that should be included in a medical and health disaster plan and requires by June 30, 2008, the Department of Health Services, the Office of Emergency Services, and the Emergency Medical Services Authority to adopt regulations and guidelines to evaluate and carry out activities relating to disaster medical and health preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.
Chapter 703, Statutes of 2006

AB 912* (Ridley-Thomas-D) Housing disaster relief: tax credit
Allows a tax credit for taxpayers housing individuals displaced by a federally declared disaster.
(Died in Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 1245 (Wolk-D) Flood Protection
Expands the authority of the West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency to accomplish the purposes and projects necessary to achieve and maintain at least a 200 year level of flood protection and, prior to January 1, 2009, authorizes the issuance of debt to finance these projects and thereafter continue to levy special assessments to repay that indebtedness.
Chapter 553, Statutes of 2006

AB 1665 (Laird-D) Flood control
Addresses a variety of Central Valley flood protection issues, including new authorities for the Department of Water Resources and the Reclamation Board, flood planning, flood liability, emergency response planning, and "beneficiaries pay" study for levee costs.
(Died in Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee after passing the Senate)

AB 1798* (Berg-D) Disaster relief
Adds the severe rainstorms that occurred in selected counties in Northern California from December 17, 2005, to January 3, 2006, to the list of disasters eligible for full state reimbursement of local property tax losses, beneficial homeowners' exemption treatment, full state reimbursement of local agency costs under the Disaster Assistance Act, and favorable net operating loss carryforward treatment. Counties affected were Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mariposa, Napa, Sonoma, and Trinity.
Chapter 896, Statutes of 2006

AB 1809* (Assembly Budget Committee) Budget trailer bill: property insurers
Among other provisions, extends by two years, until July 1, 2009, the existing assessment on property insurers which supports the Seismic Safety Commission. The assessment authority currently expires on July 1, 2007.
Chapter 49, Statutes of 2006

AB 1889 (Nava-D) California Emergency Council
Requires the membership of the council to include a representative of a local public health agency, to be appointed by the Governor, requires the council to have two advisory committees with specified memberships and duties, includes the encouragement of certain community, business, and school preparedness efforts and the publication of a biennial report on emergency preparedness, among the council's duties. Requires the Office of Emergency Services to provide staff support to the Emergency Council as necessary, and to perform the duties currently performed by the council with respect to the certification of local disaster councils and the classification of disaster service workers. Requires the Office of Emergency Services to provide notice to Emergency Council members with respect to any state of emergency declared by the Governor when the council is not meeting.
Chapter 502, Statutes of 2006

AB 1890* (Mountjoy-R) Property taxation: disaster relief
Increases from three years to five years the time frame within which a property owner may transfer the base-year value of property damaged or destroyed in a governor-declared disaster to a replacement property. This extension applies to any property acquisition or replacement of a property damaged or destroyed by a disaster occurring on July 1, 2003, or thereafter, and to determinations of base-year values for the 2003-04 and subsequent fiscal years.
Chapter 317, Statutes of 2006

AB 1898 (Jones-D) Flood insurance
Requires that owners of property located in flood hazard zones within specified watersheds maintain flood insurance.
(Died in Assembly Banking and Finance Committee)

AB 1906 (Blakeslee-R) Earthquakes
Requires the Department of Conservation to update the state's earthquake scenarios, and distribute the scenarios, for the purpose of assisting government and individuals to prepare for a catastrophic disaster.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 2029 (Villines-R) Flood threats
Includes within the definition of "state of emergency" an imminent breach of failure flood threat emergency, as declared by the governor.
(Died in Assembly Natural Resources Committee)

AB 2089* (Tran-R) Disaster preparedness products: sales tax exemption
Provides a sales tax exemption for the sale of disaster preparedness products.
(Died in Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 2116 (Cohn-D) Disaster assistance
Requires the Public Safety Radio Strategic Planning Committee to recommend that state public safety departments needing new or updated communication equipment purchase equipment that will: (1) enable them to conform to industry and governmental standards for interoperability, (2) be nonproprietary or have open architecture and backward compatibility, and (3) comply with the "Project 25 Standard," as defined, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's public safety communications (SAFECOM) guidelines. Requires local first response agencies that purchase public safety radio equipment using funds administered by the state to ensure that it complies with Project 25 and SAFECOM specifications.
Chapter 903, Statutes of 2006

AB 2140 (Hancock-D) General plans: safety element
Authorizes a city, county, or a city and county to adopt a local hazard mitigation plan (HMP) with the safety element of its general plan, and creates incentives for local governments to adopt HMPs.
Chapter 739, Statutes of 2006

AB 2224 (Houston-R) Emergency responses
Requires the California Office Homeland Security to the extent funding is available, to establish a statewide critical incident planning and mapping system for public buildings in the state for use by emergency response agencies. Provides local agencies the option of participating.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2231 (Pavley-D) Emergency services information
Requires the Director of the Office of Emergency Services (OES) to convene a working group to assess existing and future technologies available in the public and private sectors in order to expand transmission of public emergency service alerts through public-private partnerships. Requires the Director to report the findings of the working group to the Legislature within one year of the date the group is convened. Appropriates $150,000 for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 fiscal years from the Federal Trust Fund to OES for the purposes of the bill.
Chapter 764, Statutes of 2006

AB 2274 (Karnette-D) Harbors and ports: emergency response
Requires state, local, regional and harbor agencies to integrate their emergency preparation, response and evacuation procedures.
Chapter 859, Statutes of 2006

AB 2499 (Ruskin-D) State Computer Emergency Data Exchange Program
Requires the Office of Emergency Services to develop policies and procedures for improving coordination in the event of an emergency and adds more requirements to the data exchange program.
Vetoed by the Governor

AB 2584 (De La Torre-D) Emergency and disaster response exercises
Requires the Department of Health Services and local health departments, when conducting emergency or disaster preparedness exercises relating to the outbreak of an infectious disease, to establish a process to identify any deficiencies in preparedness plans and procedures, and track the implementation of corrective measures to ensure that desired improvements are made to those preparedness plans.
Vetoed by the Governor

AB 2735* (Nava-D) Disaster relief
Adds the severe rainstorms that occurred in selected counties in California that commenced on December 19, 2005, and March 29, 2006, and the wildfires in San Bernardino County in July 2006, to the list of disasters eligible for full state reimbursement of local property tax losses, beneficial homeowners' exemption treatment, full state reimbursement of local agency costs under the Disaster Assistance Act, and favorable net operating loss carryforward treatment. Counties affected are: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Kings, Lassen, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba.
Chapter 897, Statutes of 2006

AB 2852 (Nava-D) Emergencies services: tsunami hazards
Creates the California Tsunami Steering Committee, which will guide the state in preparing a tsunami mitigation plan.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2953* (La Malfa-R) Disaster relief
Provides for automatic tax relief under the personal income tax law and corporation tax law following disasters for which the governor has declared a state of emergency, eliminating the need for the Legislature to pass urgency statutes to extend this relief in the aftermath of such disasters.
(Died the Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2990 (Levine-D) Senior centers: emergency operations plans
Requires Multipurpose Senior Centers and Senior Centers to develop and maintain a written emergency operations plan.
Chapter 620, Statutes of 2006

AB 3039 (Houston-R) Disaster relief
Provides for automatic property tax relief to counties in which the Governor has declared a state of emergency, eliminating the need for the Legislature to pass urgency statutes in the aftermath of such disasters.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 3050 (Assembly Judiciary Committee) Flood control liability
Provides that liability for property damage or personal injury due to the failure of a flood control project shall be shared jointly among the state and local agencies that are responsible for the failure and subsequent damages.
(Died on Assembly Inactive File)

A similar bill was AB 1220 (Jones-D) which died in Senate Rules Committee.

AB 3058 (Assembly Jobs, Economic Development And The Economy Committee) Disaster preparedness
Expands the duties of the Office of the Small Business Advocate to include advocacy on state policy and programs related to small businesses on disaster preparedness and recovery.
Chapter 233, Statutes of 2006

AB 3065 (Assembly Governmental Organization Committee) Alcoholic beverages
Extends the time frame (from six weeks to three months) in which a beer manufacturer or beer wholesaler is authorized to provide assistance to retailers whose equipment, fixtures, or supplies were lost or damaged as a result of a natural disaster and whose premises are located in an area proclaimed to be in a state of disaster by the Governor.
Chapter 910, Statutes of 2006

ACR 121 (Blakeslee-R) 1906 San Francisco earthquake
Specifies April 18, 2006, as the 100th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and sets forth the Legislature's resolve to continue to study, plan, prepare, and support future actions that will strengthen the state's ability to withstand, respond to, and recover from earthquakes.
Resolution Chapter 15, Statutes of 2006

ACR 161 (Nava-D) Joint Legislative Committee: Homeland Security
Extends the existence of the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Services and Homeland Security until November 30, 2008.
Resolution Chapter 152, Statutes of 2006

AJR 46 (Karnette-D) Earthquake response plans
Request the President and Congress of the United States to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to immediately work with the Governor's Office of Emergency Services and other emergency response agencies and the private sector to develop a catastrophic emergency response plan, as specified, and that the Governor's Office of Emergency Services coordinate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other appropriate agencies to conduct ongoing full scale training exercises to test coordinated response capabilities to catastrophic natural disasters and to make related reports and recommendations.
Resolution Chapter 67, Statutes of 2006

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