Public health: emergency plans and wildfire research.

Assembly Member Calderon's public health emergency planning legislation establishes new requirements for state and county responses to significant air quality events caused by wildfires and other sources. The California Department of Public Health must develop comprehensive guidelines by June 30, 2026, addressing respiratory protection protocols, public communication strategies, and resource distribution plans. Within strict timeframes after completion, the department must post these guidelines online and distribute them to designated local and state entities.

Counties must then create specific emergency plans incorporating the state guidelines while assigning lead roles for implementing each recommendation. The plans must detail processes for deploying aid, conducting public outreach, and providing emergency respiratory supplies to affected populations. Counties can alternatively form regional partnerships to develop multicounty response plans. Once approved by county boards of supervisors, plans must be distributed to city managers, public health directors, and state emergency officials.

The legislation mandates consultation with an expanded group of stakeholders during plan development, including medical professionals, air quality districts, and organizations representing vulnerable populations such as seniors, disabled individuals, and unhoused persons. The state must reimburse local agencies for costs associated with these new planning requirements if the Commission on State Mandates determines the bill creates state-mandated expenses.