Bill Text: CA SB135 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended

California Senate Bill 135 (Prior Session Legislation)

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

Bill Title: Earthquake early warning system.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)

Status: (Passed) 2013-09-24 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 342, Statutes of 2013. [SB135 Detail]

Download: California-2013-SB135-Amended.html

BILL NUMBER: SB 135	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  SEPTEMBER 3, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 14, 2013
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 24, 2013
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 2, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Padilla
   (Coauthors: Senators Hancock, Hill, Lieu, and Liu)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Bloom, Blumenfield,  Cooley,
 Gordon, Jones-Sawyer, Mullin, and Skinner)

                        JANUARY 28, 2013

   An act to add and repeal Section 8587.8 of the Government Code,
relating to earthquake safety.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 135, as amended, Padilla. Earthquake early warning system.
   There is in state government, pursuant to the Governor's
Reorganization Plan No. 2, operative July 1, 2013, the Office of
Emergency Services. Existing law requires the office to develop and
distribute an educational pamphlet for use by kindergarten, any of
grades 1 to 12, inclusive, and community college personnel to
identify and mitigate the risks posed by nonstructural earthquake
hazards.
   This bill would require the office, in collaboration with various
entities, including the United States Geological Survey, to develop a
comprehensive statewide earthquake early warning system in
California  through a public-private partnership  and would
require the system to include certain features, including the
installation of field sensors.  The bill would require the office
to develop an approval mechanism, as provided, to review compliance
with earthquake early warning standards as they are developed. 
The bill  would require the office to identify funding sources
and would prohibit the office from identifying as a funding source,
or expending, any state funds to establish the system. The bill 
would make these provisions contingent upon the office identifying
funding sources for the system, as provided. If no funding sources
are identified by January 1, 2016, the bill would repeal these
provisions.
   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 finds and declares the following:
   (a) According to the United States Geological Survey, California
is one of the most seismically active states, second only to Alaska.
   (b) California has experienced dozens of disastrous earthquakes,
which have caused loss of life, injury, and economic loss. Some of
the most significant earthquakes in California's history include:
   (1) The 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which, at a magnitude of
7.8, resulted in an estimated 3,000 deaths and over $500 million in
property losses.
   (2) The 1971 San Fernando earthquake, which, at a magnitude of
6.7, resulted in at least 65 deaths and caused property damage of
over $500 million.
   (3) The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which, at a magnitude of 6.9,
caused 63 fatalities and over $6 billion in property damage.
   (4) The 1994 Northridge earthquake, which, at a magnitude of 6.7,
claimed the lives of 60 people and caused estimated property damage
of between $13 and $32 billion.
   (c) About 90 percent of the world's earthquakes and over 80
percent of the world's largest earthquakes occur along the
Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. The
Pacific Ring of Fire includes the very active San Andreas Fault Zone
in California.
   (d) The Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF)
released in 2008 predicted a 99.7 percent likelihood of a magnitude
6.7 or larger earthquake in California in the next 30 years.
   (e) A 2013 study published by the Caltech  
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)  and the Japan
Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology discovered that a
statewide California earthquake involving both the Los Angeles and
San Francisco metropolitan areas may be possible.
   (f) Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, Turkey, Romania, Italy, and China
either have or are working on earthquake early warning systems that
are capable of saving lives and helping to mitigate loss.
   (g) The Office of Emergency Services, Caltech, California
Geological Survey, University of California, United States Geological
Survey, and others have been conducting earthquake early warning
research and development in California. They operate the California
Integrated Seismic Network, which has a demonstration earthquake
early warning capability.
   (h) By building upon the California Integrated Seismic Network and
processing data from an array of sensors throughout the state, a
fully developed earthquake early warning system would effectively
detect some strength and progression of earthquakes and alert the
public within seconds, sometimes up to 60 seconds, before potentially
damaging ground shaking is felt.
   (i) An earthquake early warning system should disseminate
earthquake information in support of public safety, emergency
response, and loss mitigation.
  SEC. 2.  Section 8587.8 is added to the Government Code, to read:
   8587.8.  (a) The Office of Emergency Services, in collaboration
with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the California
Geological Survey, the University of California, the United States
Geological Survey, the Alfred E. Alquist Seismic Safety Commission,
and  others   other stakeholders  , shall
develop a comprehensive statewide earthquake early warning system in
California  through a public-private partnership , which
shall include, but not be limited to, the following features:
   (1) Installation of field sensors.
   (2) Improvement of field telemetry.
   (3) Construction and testing of central processing and
notification centers.
   (4) Establishment of warning notification distribution paths to
the public.
   (5) Integration of earthquake early warning education with general
earthquake preparedness efforts. 
   (b) In consultation with stakeholders, the Office of Emergency
Services shall develop an approval mechanism to review compliance
with earthquake early warning standards as they are developed. The
development of the approval mechanism shall include input from a
broad representation of earthquake early warning stakeholders. The
approval mechanism shall accomplish all of the following:  
   (1) Ensure the standards are appropriate.  
   (2) Determine the degree to which the standards apply to providers
and components of the system.  
   (3) Determine methods to ensure compliance with the standards.
 
   (4) Determine requirements for participation in the system. 

   (b) 
    (c)  The Office of Emergency Services shall identify
funding for the system described in subdivision (a) through single or
multiple sources of revenue  , including, but not limited
to,   that shall be limited to  federal funds,
funds from revenue bonds, local funds, and private grants.  The
Office of Emergency Services shall not identify as a funding source
any state funds or expend state funds for the purpose of establishing
the system described in subdivision (a).  
   (c) Subdivision (a) 
    (d)     Subdivisions (a) and (b) 
shall not become operative until the Office of Emergency Services
identifies funding pursuant to subdivision  (b) 
 (c)  . 
   (d) 
    (e)  (1) If funding is not identified pursuant to
subdivision  (b)   (c)  by January 1, 2016,
this section is repealed unless a later enacted statute, that is
enacted before January 1, 2016, deletes or extends that date.
   (2) The Office of Emergency Services shall file with the Secretary
of State its determination that funding was not identified pursuant
to subdivision  (b)   (c)  by January 1,
2016.