Title GOV, California Gov. Code

(a) For purposes of this article, a “toxic disaster” means an occurrence where toxic substances are dispersed in the environment in such a manner as to cause, or potentially cause, injury or death to a significant number of persons or significant harm to the natural environment, …

(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that, in order to protect the public health and safety and the environment, and to reduce personal injury and property loss resulting from the sudden release of hazardous substances into the environment, it is necessary to establish a…

The Office of Emergency Services shall manage the California Hazardous Substances Incident Response Training and Education Program to provide approved classes in hazardous substance response, taught by trained instructors, and to certify students who have completed these classes.…

(a) The Office of Emergency Services shall develop the curriculum to be used in classes that meet the program requirements and shall adopt standards and procedures for training instructors at the California Specialized Training Institute. (b) The curriculum for the training and e…

The Office of Emergency Services may hire professional and clerical staff pursuant to the State Civil Service Act (Part 2 (commencing with Section 18500) of Division 5 of Title 2). However, any person employed pursuant to this section shall be employed only at the California Spec…

For purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meanings: (a) “Board” means the State Board of Equalization. (b) “Director” means the Director of Emergency Services. (c) “Fund” means the Regional Railroad Accident Preparedness and Immediate Response Fund esta…

(a) (1) The director shall establish a schedule of fees, to be paid by each person owning any of the 25 most hazardous material commodities, as identified in regulations adopted by the office, that are transported by rail in California, that shall be sufficient to fund the approp…

Every person who operates a railroad that transports hazardous materials by rail car shall register with the board pursuant to Section 55021 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. (Added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 25, Sec. 6. (SB 84) Effective June 24, 2015.)

The fee imposed pursuant to Section 8574.32 shall be administered and collected by the board in accordance with the Fee Collection Procedures Law (Part 30 (commencing with Section 55001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code). For purposes of this section, the references…

The return required to be filed pursuant to Section 55040 of the Revenue and Taxation Code shall be prepared and filed by the person required to register with the board, in the form prescribed by the board, and shall contain that information the board deems necessary or appropria…

Notwithstanding the petition for redetermination and claim for refund provisions of the Fee Collection Procedures Law (Article 3 (commencing with Section 55081) of Chapter 3 of, and Article 1 (commencing with Section 55221) of Chapter 5 of, Part 30 of Division 2 of the Revenue an…

(a) The board may prescribe, adopt, and enforce regulations relating to the administration and enforcement of this article. (b) The board may prescribe, adopt, and enforce any emergency regulations, as necessary, to implement this article. Except as provided in Section 8574.44, a…

(a) The Regional Railroad Accident Preparedness and Immediate Response Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury. (b) All revenues, interest, penalties, and other amounts collected pursuant to this article shall be deposited into the fund, less refunds and reimbursement to the…

(a) (1) The director shall contract with the Department of Finance for the preparation of a detailed report on the financial basis and programmatic effectiveness of the regional railroad accident preparedness and immediate response plan and the Regional Railroad Accident Prepared…

(a) The Regional Railroad Accident Preparedness and Immediate Response Force is hereby created in the Office of Emergency Services. The force shall be responsible for providing regional and onsite response and mitigation capabilities in the event of a release of hazardous materia…

This article shall be known and may be cited as the Urban Heavy Rescue Act of 1988. (Added by Stats. 1988, Ch. 1206, Sec. 1.)

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the state have an urban heavy rescue capability in the event of a major earthquake. It is also the intent of the Legislature that the Office of Emergency Services and the State Fire Marshal’s Office pursue the necessary funding to carr…

(a) In addition to the provisions of Article 1 (commencing with Section 87100), a state administrative official shall not make, participate in making, or use the official’s official position to influence any governmental decision directly relating to any contract where the state …

(a) An elected officer of a state or local government agency shall not, from the date of the elected officer’s election to office through the date that the elected officer vacates office, receive a personal loan from any officer, employee, member, or consultant of the state or lo…

(a) Except as set forth in subdivision (b), an elected officer of a state or local government agency shall not, from the date of the elected officer’s election to office through the date the elected officer vacates office, receive a personal loan of five hundred dollars ($500) or…

(a) Except as set forth in subdivision (b), a personal loan shall become a gift to the debtor for the purposes of this title in the following circumstances: (1) If the loan has a defined date or dates for repayment, when the statute of limitations for filing an action for default…

(a) (1) There is in the Office of Emergency Services the Alfred E. Alquist Seismic Safety Commission that consists of 15 members, 10 of whom shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate, and includes representatives from the professional fields identi…

(a) The commission shall elect annually from its membership its own chairperson and vice chairperson and may replace them with other commissioners by majority vote. Commission members shall be residents of California. (b) The commission shall hold at least three regular meetings …

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), the members of the Alfred E. Alquist Seismic Safety Commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be paid per diem expenses of one hundred dollars ($100) for each day’s attendance at a meeting of the commission, plus actual nece…

The commission may appoint from its membership, the engineering and design professions, the geotechnical engineering, geology, and seismology professions, the building and construction industry, the affected general public, and interested governmental agencies, to appropriate adv…

(a) The commission exists as a separate unit within the Office of Emergency Services, and may recommend policies, hold meetings, hold hearings, set dates of the meetings or hearings, and positions on proposed state and federal legislation. The commission shall retain authority to…

The commission, in the discharge of its duties, may do any of the following to support monitoring and tracking of activities outlined in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 8589.75, as well as education, research, and guidelines that promote seismic safety and mi…

In accordance with the administrative oversight and policies of the office, the commission shall appoint an executive director who shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the commission, subject to the direction and policies of the commission. The executive director shal…

(a) The personnel records of all transferred employees shall be transferred to the office. (b) The property of the commission is transferred to the office. (c) All unexpended balances of appropriations and other funds available for use in connection with any function or the admin…

As used in this article: (a) “Acquire” means acquisition by purchase, grant, gift, or any other lawful means. (b) “Office” means the Office of Emergency Services. (c) “Firefighting apparatus and equipment” means any vehicle and its associated equipment that is designed and intend…

The office may acquire new or used firefighting apparatus and equipment for resale to local agencies. If the apparatus or equipment is in a used condition, the office may contract with the California Correctional Training and Rehabilitation Authority to repair or refurbish the ap…

If a state agency, including the office, proposes to make firefighting apparatus or equipment which is currently owned and operated by the state available to the office for use under this article, the Department of General Services shall determine whether there is any immediate n…

(a) The office shall give first priority for the sale of new or used firefighting apparatus and equipment to a local agency that serves a rural area, and is authorized to contract with a local agency that serves a rural area for this purpose. The office shall give second priority…

The office shall operate an information system which is capable of identifying firefighting apparatus and equipment which is available for acquisition, and local agencies which are interested in acquiring apparatus and equipment. (Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 352, Sec. 147. (AB 13…

The office may contract with the California Correctional Training and Rehabilitation Authority to perform any of the responsibilities or services required or authorized by this article. (Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 241, Sec. 9. (SB 857) Effective January 1, 2026.)

There is hereby created in the General Fund the State Assistance for Fire Equipment Account, which, notwithstanding Section 13340, is continuously appropriated to the office for the purposes of Sections 8589.11 and 8589.13. All proceeds from the resale of firefighting apparatus a…

Every contract with a local agency for the resale of firefighting apparatus and equipment shall specify that the local agency shall make the apparatus or equipment available to other local agencies in the same county as part of a mutual aid agreement. The apparatus or equipment s…

If a local agency defaults on a contract for the resale of firefighting apparatus and equipment, the office may either renegotiate the contract or take possession of the apparatus or equipment for subsequent resale to another local agency. (Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 352, Sec. 1…

(a) After consultation with the California Emergency Management Agency Fire Advisory Committee, hereafter to be referred to as the Office of Emergency Services Fire Advisory Committee, the director shall adopt rules and regulations governing the operation of the programs created …

All state agencies, boards, and commissions shall cooperate with the office in implementing the programs created by this article. (Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 352, Sec. 153. (AB 1317) Effective September 26, 2013. Operative July 1, 2013, by Sec. 543 of Ch. 352.)

The director shall be responsible for the programs created by this article which, except as provided by Sections 8589.12 and 8589.15, shall not be subject to the requirements of the State Equipment Council or the Office of Fleet Administration of the Department of General Service…

This article shall be known and may be cited as the State Assistance for Fire Equipment Act. (Added by Stats. 1987, Ch. 1332, Sec. 1.)

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that there is a growing need to find new ways to acquire firefighting apparatus and equipment for use by local agencies. Local agencies, particularly those that serve rural areas, have had, and are likely to continue to have, difficulty acqu…

This article shall be known and may be cited as the Firefighting Thermal Imaging Equipment Act of 2001. (Added by Stats. 2001, Ch. 837, Sec. 2. Effective October 13, 2001.)

As used in this article, the following terms have the following meanings: (a) “Agency” or “office” means the Office of Emergency Services. (b) “Local agency” means any city, county, city and county, fire district, special district, or joint powers agency that provides fire suppre…

There is established in the office a thermal imaging equipment purchasing program under which the office shall acquire firefighting thermal imaging equipment on behalf of local and state agencies that are interested in obtaining this equipment. (Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 352, S…