Bill Text: CA AB611 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Emergency services: populations with limited English

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2010-01-14 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB611 Detail]

Download: California-2009-AB611-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 611	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Fong

                        FEBRUARY 25, 2009

   An act to add Section 8588.16 to the Government Code, relating to
emergency services.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 611, as introduced, Fong. Emergency services: populations with
limited English proficiency.
   Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, requires the
California Emergency Management Agency to coordinate the emergency
services of all state agencies in connection with emergencies, and to
establish a standardized emergency management system for use by all
emergency response agencies.
   This bill would require the Secretary of California Emergency
Management to consider the multiple languages and needs of
populations who have limited proficiency in the English language and
to incorporate their needs in the curricula and scenarios related to
critical emergency preparedness planning, response, and recovery
training. The bill would also require the secretary to incorporate
ethnic media and local ethnic community-based organizations and
ethnic media outlets in communication plans to alert them about
emergency information strategies and to use a registry of qualified
bilingual persons in public contact positions, as defined, to assist
in emergencies.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) Approximately 40 percent of the population in this state
speaks a language other than English at home. According to the United
States Department of Justice, individuals with limited proficiency
in English are those who have a limited ability to read, write,
speak, or understand English. In this state, more than 6,000,000
residents have limited proficiency in English.
   (b) Recent disasters have highlighted the vulnerabilities of
individuals during an emergency who have limited proficiency in
English. At least 19,641 individuals within the Hurricane Katrina and
Hurricane Rita disaster areas spoke English with difficulty, and a
report presented to the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus,
highlighted the lack of evacuation orders during the Hurricane
Katrina disaster in any language other than English, leaving
individuals with limited proficiency in English vulnerable.
   (c) In this state, wildfires in southern California struck parts
of cities having a significant population of individuals with limited
proficiency in English, potentially affecting almost 300,000 such
individuals. News reports highlighted the frustration and confusion
during evacuations for individuals unable to understand English.
   (d) The Milton Marks "Little Hoover" Commission on California
State Government Organization and Economy has also highlighted the
need for developing plans to ensure that the needs of vulnerable
populations, including those with limited proficiency in English,
will be met during a catastrophe.
   (e) This state, with its extraordinary language diversity, must
take steps to ensure emergency preparedness, response, and recovery
to address the needs of individuals with limited proficiency in
English.
  SEC. 2.  Section 8588.16 is added to the Government Code, to read:
   8588.16.  (a) (1) The Secretary of California Emergency Management
shall take into consideration the multiple languages and the needs
of populations with limited English proficiency during emergency
preparedness planning, response, and recovery, including when
developing committee recommendations within the Standardized
Emergency Management System structure, drafting guidance for local
and regional governmental entities, and reviewing emergency plans of
state, regional, and local governmental entities.
   (2) Documents drafted for the purposes described in paragraph (1)
that are intended for emergency responders, including, but not
limited to, governmental entities do not have to be translated.
   (3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require changes
to existing documents until the time they are normally updated or
revised.
   (b) The Secretary of California Emergency Management shall
incorporate ethnic media and ethnic community-based organizations
into the communication strategies that are developed so that alert
and warning information sent to these entities can be more broadly
disseminated to populations with limited English proficiency.
   (c) The Secretary of California Emergency Management shall utilize
a registry of qualified bilingual persons in public contact
positions, as defined in Sections 7296 and 7297, to assist with
emergency preparedness, response, and recovery pursuant to Section
8595.
   (d) The Secretary of California Emergency Management shall
incorporate the needs of populations with limited English proficiency
in the curricula and scenarios related to critical emergency
preparedness, response, and recovery training and exercises,
including the exercises identified in the statewide exercise strategy
and those related to crisis communications. For other training and
exercises, the needs of the populations with limited English
proficiency shall be incorporated to the extent reasonable.