County emergency plans.

Assembly Member Calderon's proposal to modify California's emergency planning framework would require counties to review and update their emergency plans every two years, establishing a regular cycle for maintaining these critical documents. The legislation tasks the Office of Emergency Services with developing best practices for county emergency plans and creates a formal review process through which counties can request evaluation of their plans.

Under the proposed changes, the Office of Emergency Services would assess county emergency plans against several key criteria, including consistency with state-recommended practices, provisions for protecting vulnerable populations during natural disasters, and procedures for alerting, evacuating, and sheltering residents during emergencies. The office would provide technical assistance and feedback to help counties meet these standards.

The bill includes provisions for state reimbursement to counties for costs associated with the new biennial review requirement, subject to determination by the Commission on State Mandates. This measure would replace previous language that set a January 2022 deadline for establishing emergency planning best practices, creating instead an ongoing framework for maintaining and improving local emergency preparedness plans.