AB294 - Recovery from disaster or emergency: funding priority.

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 294 Introduced by Assembly Member Gallagher January 23, 2025 An act to add Section 8587.1 to the Government Code, relating to state government. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 294, as introduced, Gallagher. Recovery from disaster or emergency: funding priority. Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, among other things, creates the Office of Emergency Services (OES), which is responsible for the state’s emergency and disaster response services, as specified. The OES is under the supervision of the Director of Emergency Services. During a state of war emergency, a state of emergency, or a local emergency, existing law requires the director to coordinate the emergency activities of all state agencies in connection with that emergency. This bill would authorize the OES to prioritize funding and technical assistance under specified programs, including, but not limited to, for infrastructure and housing recovery projects, in communities that suffered a loss in population and businesses due to a major federal disaster, state of emergency, or local emergency and have unmet recovery needs as a result of a major federal disaster, state of emergency, or local emergency. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 8587.1 is added to the Government Code, to read: 8587.1. (a) The Office of Emergency Services may prioritize funding and technical assistance under any of the programs listed in subdivision (b), including, but not limited to, for infrastructure and housing recovery projects, in communities that meet both of the following requirements: (1) Suffered a loss in population and businesses due to a major federal disaster, state of emergency, or local emergency. (2) Have unmet recovery needs as a result of a major federal disaster, state of emergency, or local emergency. (b) (1) The federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (42 U.S.C. Sec. 5170c). (2) The federal Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program (42 U.S.C. Sec. 5133). (3) The California Disaster Assistance Act (Chapter 7.5 (commencing with Section 8680)).