SCR97 - California Emergency Preparedness Month.

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 97 CHAPTER 157 Relative to California Emergency Preparedness Month. [ Filed with Secretary of State August 27, 2025. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 97, Seyarto. California Emergency Preparedness Month. This measure would proclaim September 2025 as California Emergency Preparedness Month. Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill Text WHEREAS, Launched in 2004, National Preparedness Month is an annual preparedness outreach effort led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and WHEREAS, National Preparedness Month aims to educate and empower Americans with the knowledge and resources needed to prepare for and respond to all types of emergency situations, including natural disasters and manmade emergencies; and WHEREAS, California faces complex and severe disaster and emergency conditions due to its unique geography and extreme weather, as demonstrated by the hurricane-force wind-driven firestorms in January 2025 that destroyed separate urban and coastal areas of the County of Los Angeles; and WHEREAS, Over the last decade, California has experienced significant increases in the frequency, intensity, and duration of a variety of disasters and emergencies, including severe heat waves, rolling blackouts, wildfires, rainstorms, floods, mudslides, and prolonged droughts; and WHEREAS, As a result of these extreme events, hundreds of thousands of people have been subject to mandatory evacuations or displaced from their communities; and WHEREAS, Disasters and emergencies can leave Californians without power, food, or other essential items for days; and WHEREAS, It is urgent for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to continue to partner with states like California and others that are vulnerable to these events to support impacted individuals, communities, and businesses that experience devastating losses in the aftermath; and WHEREAS, The growing number of disasters and emergencies in California require individuals to plan, prepare, and practice in advance; and WHEREAS, It is crucial that residents and all levels of government have well-defined plans in place before an emergency or natural disaster occurs; and WHEREAS, These plans should include access to adequate shelter, reserves of food and water, backup power for communication devices, plans for pets, access to transportation, and knowledge of local evacuation routes; and WHEREAS, National Preparedness Month serves as a reminder that preparedness should be an ongoing practice, not a one-time occurrence, as disasters and emergencies can strike unexpectedly and at any time; and WHEREAS, September is recognized as National Preparedness Month and culminates on September 30th with National Preparedness Day, a designated day for action and community engagement; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby proclaims the month of September 2025 as California Emergency Preparedness Month; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature encourages Californians to acknowledge the importance of preparing for emergencies to keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.