Public health: emergency plans and wildfire research.

Assembly Member Calderon's public health emergency planning legislation establishes new requirements for state and county wildfire smoke response while creating a dedicated task force to research mitigation strategies. The State Department of Public Health must develop comprehensive guidelines by June 2026 for protecting residents during significant air quality events, addressing respiratory equipment distribution, public communication protocols, and support for vulnerable populations.

Counties must incorporate these state recommendations into their emergency plans, detailing specific procedures for deploying aid, conducting public outreach, and providing emergency respiratory supplies. The legislation allows counties to form regional partnerships through multicounty agreements, subject to approval from each participating board of supervisors. After plan adoption, counties must distribute copies to designated local officials and health directors.

The bill creates a wildfire smoke mitigation task force comprising representatives from emergency services, air quality agencies, medical professionals, and public health experts. This group will evaluate existing programs, develop prevention strategies, and examine multiagency coordination methods. The task force must submit its recommendations to the Legislature by January 2028, with findings to be published on the department's website. Local agencies may receive state reimbursement for costs associated with implementing these new mandates.