Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, establishes the Office of Emergency Services (OES) in the office of the Governor and makes the OES responsible for the state’s emergency and disaster response services, as specified. Existing law, on or before July 1, 2022, requires the OES, in consultation with specified entities, to develop voluntary guidelines for alerting and warning the public of an emergency, and requires the OES to provide each city, county, and city and county with a copy of the guidelines. Existing law authorizes the OES to impose conditions upon application for voluntary grant funding that it administers requiring operation of alert and warning activities consistent with the guidelines. Existing law also requires the OES, within 6 months of making the statewide guidelines available and at least annually thereafter and through its California Specialized Training Institute, to develop an alert and warning training, as specified.

This bill, on or before July 1, 2023, 2024, would require the OES, by regulation, to adopt minimum operating standards for private sector companies that provide alert and warning services to local entities and determine the appropriate thresholds for the provider of alert and warning services to report disruptions in service. Upon adoption of those regulations, the bill would require all providers of alert and warning services to notify the OES if a disruption in service or cybersecurity incident occurs. The bill would make the OES responsible for notifying any applicable county office of emergency services, the sheriff of any county, and any public safety answering point affected by the disruption of service. entities.