AB2543 - Emergency preparedness: fuel and transportation resources: assessment.

Enrolled August 27, 2026 Passed IN Senate August 24, 2026 Passed IN Assembly August 25, 2026 Amended IN Senate July 02, 2026 Amended IN Assembly May 18, 2026 Amended IN Assembly April 27, 2026 Amended IN Assembly April 15, 2026 Amended IN Assembly March 19, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 2543 Introduced by Assembly Member Ransom (Coauthor: Senator Stern) February 20, 2026 An act to add Section 8570.7 to the Government Code, relating to emergency preparedness. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2543, Ransom. Emergency preparedness: fuel and transportation resources: assessment. Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, generally prescribes duties with regard to various types of emergencies and disasters, including requiring the Governor to coordinate the State Emergency Plan and those programs necessary for the mitigation of the effects of an emergency in this state. Existing law requires the Office of Emergency Services to include in the State Hazard Mitigation Plan an evaluation of risks from specified causes of a long-term electrical outage and, based on that analysis, requires the plan to identify cost-effective and feasible measures to lessen risks from those hazards, including, hardening the critical infrastructure of electrical utilities. This bill would require, on or before July 1, 2028, the Office of Emergency Services, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, to submit an assessment to the relevant policy committees of the Senate and Assembly that (1) identifies and evaluates emergency types during which Californians’ access to fuel and transportation resources may be limited in a manner that would impact public health and safety, (2) identifies fuel and transportation resources that are important to maintain during each emergency type based on specified factors, and (3) provides recommendations for actions the state should take in the event of an emergency to ensure that fuel and transportation resources necessary for public health and safety are available during the emergency, as provided. 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 8570.7 is added to the Government Code, to read: 8570.7. (a) On or before July 1, 2028, the Office of Emergency Services, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, shall submit an assessment to the relevant policy committees of the Senate and Assembly that does all of the following: (1) Identifies and evaluates the types of emergencies during which Californians’ access to fuel and transportation resources may be limited in a manner that would impact public health and safety during the emergency. The emergency types the Office of Emergency Services shall evaluate include, but are not limited to, a seismic event, a deenergization event, an extreme weather condition, and a wildfire. (2) Identifies fuel and transportation resources that are important to maintain, and maintain access to, during each emergency type identified pursuant to paragraph (1) based on considerations that shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following factors: (A) Population that is reliant on the fuel and transportation resources. (B) Geographical location of the fuel and transportation resources. (C) Types of fuel and transportation resources used by populations impacted by emergencies, including the rate of electric vehicle adoption in a region prone to emergencies. (D) Evacuation fuel and transportation resources needed for different types of emergencies. (E) Safety of accessing the fuel and transportation resources during the emergency. (F) Whether the population using the fuel and transportation resources can be adequately served by alternative fuel and transportation resources during an emergency. (3) Provides recommendations for actions the state should take in the event of an emergency to ensure that fuel and transportation resources necessary for public health and safety are available during the emergency, including recommendations for any fuel and transportation resources that should be made available to Californians under evacuation orders. (b) The Office of Emergency Services shall provide opportunities for public comment and feedback when conducting the activities required pursuant to subdivision (a).