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

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

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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

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BILL NUMBER: SB 135	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  SEPTEMBER 6, 2013
	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.   (a)    The Legislature finds and
declares  all of  the following: 
   (a) 
    (1)  According to the United States Geological Survey,
California is one of the most seismically active states, second only
to Alaska. 
   (b) 
    (2)  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) 
    (A)  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) 
    (B)  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) 
    (C)  The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which, at a
magnitude of 6.9, caused 63 fatalities and over $6 billion in
property damage. 
   (4) 
    (D)  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) 
    (3)  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) 
    (4)  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) 
    (5)  A 2013 study published by the 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) 
    (6)  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) 
    (7)  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) 
    (8)  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) 
    (9)  An earthquake early warning system should
disseminate earthquake information in support of public safety,
emergency response, and loss mitigation. 
   (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the establishment of
an earthquake early warning system pursuant to this act shall not
result in any undue burden upon the General Fund and that, to the
maximum extent possible, the Office of Emergency Services shall seek
other sources for funding the implementation of Section 8587.8 of the
Government Code. 
  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 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.
   (c) The Office of Emergency Services shall identify funding for
the system described in subdivision (a) through single or multiple
sources of revenue 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).
   (d) Subdivisions (a) and (b) shall not become operative until the
Office of Emergency Services identifies funding pursuant to
subdivision (c).
   (e) (1) If funding is not identified pursuant to subdivision (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 (c) by January 1, 2016.