Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act (CESA), among other things, authorizes the Governor to proclaim a state of emergency in an area affected by or likely to be affected thereby, if specified conditions exist and either specified local officials request the Governor to make that proclamation, or the Governor determines that local authority is inadequate to cope with, the emergency. During a state of emergency, existing law confers on the Governor, to the extent the Governor deems necessary, complete authority over all agencies of the state government and the right to exercise within the area designated all police power vested in the state by the Constitution and laws of the state to effectuate the purposes of the CESA.

This bill would, instead, authorize the Governor to exercise within the area designated all executive power vested in the state by the Constitution and laws of the state to effectuate the purposes of the CESA. The bill would also make various nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.

Existing law requires the Governor to proclaim the termination of a state emergency at the earliest possible date that conditions warrant. Existing law requires all of the powers granted to the Governor by the CESA with respect to a state of emergency to terminate when the state of emergency has been terminated by proclamation of the Governor or by concurrent resolution of the Legislature declaring it at an end.

This bill would instead require that a state of emergency automatically terminate 60 days after the Governor’s proclamation unless the Legislature extends it by a concurrent resolution, as specified. The bill would prohibit a concurrent resolution from extending a state of emergency by more than 30 days, as specified.