CHAPTER 1046
An act to amend Section 8897 of, to amend and renumber Section 8898 of, and to add Section 8895.1 to, the Government Code, relating to the Seismic Safety Commission, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.
[Approved by Governor September 25, 1980. Filed with Secretary of State September 26, 1980.]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2202, Vicencia. Seismic Safety Commission.
The Seismic Safety Commission Act, which will self-repeal, effective January 1, 1986, establishes the Seismic Safety Commission, and confers upon it various powers and duties relating to earthquake hazard reduction. The California Emergency Services Act confers various related powers and duties upon the Governor, the Director and the Department of Emergency Services, and the California Emergency Council.
This bill would amend the Seismic Safety Commission Act by: changing the basic subject of the powers and duties of the commission to earthquake hazard mitigation and making certain corresponding changes in its powers and duties; including within commission responsibilities, scheduling on its agenda as required, a report on disaster mitigation issues from the Office of Emergency Services and defining, for such purposes, "disaster" as all natural hazards which could have an impact on public safety; and authorizing the commission to exercise various specified powers in relation to other disasters, as so defined, in connection with issues or items reported or discussed with the Office of Emergency Services at any commission meeting.
This bill would also require the commission to initiate, as specified, a comprehensive program to prepare the state for responding to a major earthquake prediction, as specified.
This bill would appropriate $750,000 for the purposes of this act.
This act would take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Appropriation: yes.
_The people of the State of California do enact as follows:_
SECTION 1. Section 8895.1 is added to the Government Code, to read:
8895.1. The commission shall initiate, with the assistance and participation of other state, federal, and local government agencies, a comprehensive program to prepare the state for responding to a major earthquake prediction. The program should be implemented in order to result in specific tools or products to be used by governments in responding to an earthquake prediction, such as educational materials for citizens. This program may be implemented on a prototypical basis in one area of the state affected by earthquake predictions, provided that it is useful for application in other areas of the state upon its completion.
SEC. 2. Section 8897 of the Government Code is amended to read:
8897. The commission is responsible for all of the following in connection with earthquake hazard mitigation:
(a) Setting goals and priorities in the public and private sectors.
(b) Requesting appropriate state agencies to devise criteria to promote earthquake and disaster safety.
(c) Scheduling a report on disaster mitigation issues from the Office of Emergency Services, on the commission agenda as required. For the purposes of this subdivision, the term disaster refers to all natural hazards which could have impact on public safety.
(d) Recommending program changes to state agencies, local agencies, and the private sector where such changes would improve earthquake hazards and reduction.
(e) Reviewing the recovery and reconstruction efforts after damaging earthquakes.
(f) Gathering, analyzing, and disseminating information.
(g) Encouraging research.
(h) Sponsoring training to help improve the competence of specialized enforcement and other technical personnel.
(i) Helping to coordinate the earthquake safety activities of government at all levels.
(j) Establishing and maintaining necessary working relationships with any boards, commissions, departments, and agencies, or other public or private organizations.
SEC. 3. Section 8898 of the Government Code is amended and renumbered to read:
8897.1. To implement the foregoing responsibilities, the commission may do any of the following:
(a) Review state budgets and review grant proposals, other than those grant proposals submitted by institutions of postsecondary education to the federal government, for earthquake related activities and to advise the Governor and Legislature thereon.
(b) Review legislative proposals, related to earthquake safety to advise the Governor and Legislature concerning such proposals, and to propose needed legislation.
(c) Recommend the addition, deletion, or changing of state agency standards when, in the commission's view, the existing situation creates undue hazards or when new developments would promote earthquake hazard mitigation, and conduct public hearings as deemed necessary on the subjects.
(d) In the conduct of any hearing, investigation, inquiry, or study which is ordered or undertaken in any part of the state, to administer oaths and issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses and the production of papers, records, reports, books, maps, accounts, documents, and testimony.
(e) In addition, the commission may perform any of the functions contained in subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive, in relation to other disasters, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 8897, in connection with issues or items reported or discussed with the Office of Emergency Services at any commission meeting.
SEC. 4. The sum of seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Seismic Safety Commission for carrying out the provisions of Section 8895.1 of the Government Code as added by this act, contingent upon receipt of matching federal funds.
SEC. 5. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting such necessity are:
In order to protect the public safety against earthquakes, including the imminent possibility of major earthquake predictions being made within the next 12 months, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
=National Security Council Ad Hoc Committee on Assessment of Consequences and Preparation for a Major California Earthquake=
_Dr. Frank Press_, Chairperson, President's Science Advisor _Clifton Alexander, Jr._, Secretary of the Army _Roderick Renick_, Department of Defense _Cecil Andres_, Secretary of the Department of Interior _H.W. Menard_, Department of Interior (USGS) _W. Bowman Cutter_, Executive Associate Director for Budget, Office of Management and Budget _Lynn Daft_, Associate Director for Domestic Policy Staff, White House _Peter Hamilton_, Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Department of Defense _Ted Hodkowski_, Intergovernmental Assistant to the President, White House _John W. Macy, Jr._, Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency _Richard Green_, Federal Emergency Management Agency _Frank Camm_, Federal Emergency Management Agency _William Odom_, Military Assistant, National Security Council, White House _Robert P. Pirie, Jr._, Assistant Secretary for Manpower, Reserve Affairs and Logistics, Department of Defense
=Working Group Members=
_Philip Smith_, Chairperson, Office of Science and Technology Policy _Clarence G. Collins_, Department of Transportation _Richard DiConti_, National Communications System _Joseph Mullinix_, Office of Management and Budget _Chris Shoemaker_, National Security Council _Charles C. Thiel_, Federal Emergency Management Agency _Stephen Travis_, Domestic Policy Staff _Robert L. Wesson_, Office of Science and Technology Policy
=Selected Contributors=
_Richard E. Adams_, State of California, OES Region V _James Alexander_, State of California, OES Region I _William Anderson_, National Science Foundation _Ralph Archuleta_, United States Geological Survey _Roger D. Borcherdt_, United States Geological Survey _Robert D. Brown, Jr._, United States Geological Survey _James Brown_, George Washington University _Richard J. Buzka_, United States Geological Survey _Maria D. Castain_, United States Geological Survey _Lloyd Cluff_, Woodward-Clyde Consultants _John Crawford_, Federal Emergency Management Agency _Alex Cunningham_, State of California, OES _Donna Darling_, State of California, OES Region II _Gardner Davis_, State of California, OES Region VI _Henry Degenkolb_, H.J. Degenkolb & Associates _Joseph Domingues_, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region IX _Russell Dynes_, American Sociological Association _Raymond R. Eis_, United States Geological Survey _Susan Elkins_, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region IX _Jack F. Evernden_, United States Geological Survey _Charles Fritz_, National Academy of Sciences _Thomas E. Fumal_, United States Geological Survey _James T. Haigwood_, State of California, OES Region I _Jane Victoria Hindmarsh_, State of California, OES _Connie E. Hooper_, Federal Emergency Management Agency _William B. Joyner_, United States Geological Survey _Harry King_, State of California, OES Region II _Henry Lagorio_, University of California _Richard P. Liechti_, United States Geological Survey _Terry Meade_, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region IX _Ugo Morelli_, Federal Emergency Management Agency _William Myers_, Federal Emergency Management Agency _Robert A. Page_, United States Geological Survey _Daniel J. Ponti_, United States Geological Survey _H. Roger Pulley_, State of California, OES _F. Joseph Russo_, Federal Emergency Management Agency _Louis Schwalb_, Federal Emergency Management Agency _Wanda H. Seiders_, United States Geological Survey _Paul A. Spudich_, United States Geological Survey _Frank Steindl_, Oklahoma State University _Karl Steinbrugge_, Private Consultant _Christopher Stephens_, United States Geological Survey _Robert Stevens_, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region IX _John Sucich_, Federal Emergency Management Agency _Hurst Sutton_, Private Consultant _Richard Traub_, State of California, OES Region I _Monica L. Turner_, United States Geological Survey _Robert E. Wallace_, United States Geological Survey _Kay M. Walz_, United States Geological Survey _William W. Ward_, State of California, OES Region II _Robert R. Wilson_, Federal Emergency Management Agency _Robert P. Yerkes_, United States Geological Survey _Mark D. Zoback_, United States Geological Survey
* * * * *