California Disaster Assistance Act.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide detailed information on the specific content or impact of the new guidelines replacing existing regulations.

California Disaster Help Law

The California Disaster Assistance Act allows funds for disaster recovery and changes rule-making procedures.

What This Bill Does

• Allows the Director of Emergency Services to use funds to repair or replace damaged government buildings used for essential services after a disaster.
• Permits using these funds to cover immediate needs identified by local agencies to aid individuals and community-based organizations in recovering from disasters.
• Requires the Office of Emergency Services to create a model process that includes ways to involve private nonprofit organizations in disaster recovery efforts.

Who It Names or Affects

• Local agencies and government entities dealing with disaster recovery.
• Individuals and community-based organizations affected by disasters.
• Private nonprofit organizations involved in disaster response and recovery.

Terms To Know

Disaster

An event that causes widespread damage or disruption, requiring emergency assistance from the government.

Guidelines

Recommendations for how to follow rules and procedures without being legally binding like regulations.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify when it will take effect.
• It is unclear what specific changes the guidelines will include compared to current regulations.

Official Summary Text

AB 1530, as amended, Committee on Emergency Management.
California Disaster Assistance Act.
Existing law, the California Disaster Assistance Act, authorizes the Director of Emergency Services to allocate certain funds to meet the cost of a project,
defined as the repair, restoration, or replacement of real property of a local agency used for essential government services that are damaged or destroyed by a disaster, subject to specified conditions.
as defined.
This bill would also authorize those funds to be used for unmet needs identified by a local agency that may be immediately required to help individuals and community-based organizations quickly recover from a disaster, and would make related and conforming changes.
Existing law requires the director to adopt regulations as necessary to govern the administration of the act in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.
This bill would instead require the director to issue guidelines to govern the administration of the act.
Existing law authorizes the Office of Emergency Services to establish a model process to assist a community in recovering from an emergency proclaimed by the Governor that includes, among other information, measures to encourage the participation of nongovernmental organizations in the community recovery process to supplement recovery activities undertaken by federal or local agencies.
This bill would instead require the office to establish that model process, and would require the model process to also include measures to encourage the participation of private nonprofit organizations and how they may be eligible to receive state assistance for distribution of supplies and other disaster or emergency assistance activities resulting in extraordinary cost.
Existing law, if a state of emergency is proclaimed, authorizes an eligible private nonprofit organization to receive state
assistance for distribution of supplies and other disaster or emergency assistance activities resulting in extraordinary cost subject to specified eligibility and other requirements. Existing law requires the office to adopt regulations to implement those provisions.
This bill would instead require the office to issue guidelines to implement those provisions.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF