BILL NUMBER: AB 472INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Blumenfield FEBRUARY 24, 2009 An act to add Section 8596.5 to the Government Code, relating to disaster preparedness. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 472, as introduced, Blumenfield. Disaster preparedness. Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, requires the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) to be responsible for the state's emergency and disaster response services, and requires state entities to cooperate with Cal EMA in carrying out its duties. This bill would, beginning on July 1, 2010, require any state entity that publishes an Internet Web site to prominently display on the homepage of that Internet Web site the phrase "Preparing for Disasters" that links a user to an Internet Web page created and maintained by Cal EMA, in consultation with the Seismic Safety Commission, that provides specified information regarding earthquake preparedness for the home and workplace. 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 all of the following: (a) January 17, 2009 marked the 15th anniversary of the Northridge Earthquake that resulted in the deaths of 57 people, 12,000 injuries, damage to 100,000 structures, and up to $40 billion in losses. (b) Experts predict there is a high likelihood that there will be another earthquake in southern California of equal or greater magnitude as the Northridge Earthquake in the next 30 years. (c) Understanding potential risks, practicing responses, and being prepared with an action plan for before, during, and after a disaster can make a significant difference in reducing or eliminating major losses of life and property. (d) The largest local earthquake drill involving more than five million people in southern California on November 13, 2008, found significant gaps in earthquake preparedness planning and a need for ongoing disaster preparedness education for the public. (e) The local Valley Public Response for Emergency Preparedness Task Force established in the San Fernando Valley is working to identify valley-specific issues that can be addressed through quake preparedness planning. (f) Providing links on all state agency Internet Web sites would make it easier for Californians to access earthquake preparedness information and promote awareness of steps that can be taken before, during, and after major earthquakes to promote safety for individuals and communities. SEC. 2. Section 8596.5 is added to the Government Code, to read: 8596.5. (a) Any state entity that publishes an Internet Web site shall prominently display on the homepage of that Internet Web site the phrase "Preparing for Disasters" that links a user to the Internet Web page described in subdivision (b). (b) The California Emergency Management Agency, in consultation with the Seismic Safety Commission, shall create and maintain an Internet Web page that a state entity can link to, as required by subdivision (a), that provides all of the following: (1) Information regarding earthquake preparedness for the home and workplace. (2) Guides and other publications regarding earthquake preparedness for the home and workplace. (3) Links to other Internet resources for earthquake preparedness for the home and workplace. (c) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2010.