AB969:v98#DOCUMENTBill Start
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 18, 2021
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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 969
Introduced by Assembly Member Frazier
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February 17, 2021 |
An act relating to fire prevention and mitigation. to add Section 4123.1 to the Public Resources Code, relating to wildfires.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 969, as amended, Frazier.
fire prevention and mitigation. Natural Resources Agency: wildfire technology support: community organizations.
Existing law establishes in state government the Natural Resources Agency, consisting of various departments, including the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Existing law provides that the department is responsible for the fire protection, fire prevention, maintenance, and enhancement of the state’s forest, range, and brushland resources, contract fire protection, associated emergency services, and assistance in civil disasters and other nonfire emergencies.
This bill would require the Natural Resources Agency to provide a basic level of technological support to community organizations for wildfire risk reduction and resiliency, including technology for data, geospatial mapping, and data management, as well as software and limited technical support,
and would require the Natural Resources Agency to structure this wildfire technology support in the same way that technology support is provided for similar services for wildfire-program building, outreach, and planning. The bill would provide that the sum of $5,000,000 shall be appropriated from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in the annual Budget Act each year through the 2023–24 fiscal year to the Natural Resources Agency for purposes of providing the technological support described above.
Existing law establishes grant programs aimed at funding disaster mitigation activities, including a local assistance grant program for fire prevention administered by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to enhance and improve landscape scale fire prevention and mitigation projects.
Digest Key
Vote:
MAJORITY
Appropriation:
NO
Fiscal Committee:
NOYES
Local Program:
NO
Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 4123.1 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:4123.1.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares both of the following:(1) The Natural Resources Agency does not have the funds to provide any type of wildfire technology support to communities in the form of data accessibility, basic geospatial support, digitization of project components, and other rudimentary technology enablers.
(2) It is often too expensive and complicated for community organizations to obtain these wildfire technology services or capabilities themselves, and they are rarely at the front of the line for donated local government support.
(b) The Natural Resources Agency shall provide a basic level of
technological support to community organizations for wildfire risk reduction and resiliency, including technology for data, geospatial mapping, and data management, as well as software and limited technical support, and shall structure this wildfire technology support in the same way that technology support is provided for similar services for wildfire-program building, outreach, and planning.
(c) The sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) shall be appropriated from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in the annual Budget Act each year through the 2023–24 fiscal year to the Natural Resources Agency for purposes of implementing this section.
SECTION 1.It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to enhance and improve landscape scale fire prevention and mitigation projects.