California 2019-2020 Regular Session Status: Passed Senate Bipartisan · 2 D · 1 R cosponsors

SB 794 — Emergency services: telecommunications.

Last action — August 3 set for first hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 3. Noes 0.) Reconsideration granted.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed Assembly
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2019-2020 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

The California Emergency Services Act establishes the Office of Emergency Services in the office of the Governor and provides that the office is responsible for the state's emergency and disaster response services for natural, technological, or manmade disasters and emergencies, including responsibility for activities necessary to prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of emergencies and disasters to people and property. Existing law authorizes each county, including a city and county, to enter into an agreement to access the contact information of resident accountholders through the records of a public utility or other agency responsible for water service, waste and recycling services, or other property-related services for the sole purpose of enrolling county residents in a county-operated public emergency warning system. Existing law requires any county that enters into such an agreement to include procedures to enable any resident to opt out of the warning system and a process to terminate the receiving agency's access to the resident's contact information. Existing law prohibits the use of the information gathered for any purpose other than for emergency notification. This bill would expand these provisions to authorize a city to enter into an agreement to access the contact information of resident accountholders through the records of a public utility, as specified. The bill would also expand the types of public utilities that can enter into these agreements by defining public utility to include, among others, a local publicly owned electric utility, mobile telephony services, a public water agency, and an agency responsible for solid waste or recycling services. The bill would require a local government that enters into an agreement to access information of resident accountholders to, upon receipt of that information, notify residents that they have been entered into the public emergency warning system. The bill would require a local government that enters into an agreement to access information to include procedures to enable any resident to opt out of the warning system and a process to terminate the receiving agency's access to the contact information of the resident from a public utility. The bill would also authorize a governing body of a postsecondary institution that receives state funds, including funds for student financial assistance, to use its own enrollment, registration, and personnel records to access the contact information of students and employees for the sole purpose of enrolling students and employees in a university- or college-operated public emergency warning system. The bill would require the governing body of a postsecondary institution that receives state funds, including funds for student financial assistance, to notify students and employees that they have been entered into the public emergency warning system and include procedures to enable them to opt out of the warning system. Existing law requires a county, upon the next update to its emergency plan, to integrate access and functional needs into its emergency plan by addressing, at a minimum, how the access and functional needs population is served by emergency communications, emergency evacuation for individuals who are dependent on public transportation, and accessible emergency sheltering. Existing law permits an authorized employee of a county social services department to disclose the name and residential address of elderly or disabled clients to police, fire, or paramedical personnel, or other designated emergency services personnel, in the event of a public safety emergency that necessitates the possible evacuation of the area in which those elderly or disabled clients reside. Existing law requires the Director of Social Services to seek any federal approval necessary to implement these provisions, and prohibits these provisions from being implemented unless the director executes a declaration stating that any required federal approval has been obtained, and only for the duration of that approval. Existing law defines "public safety emergency" for these purposes to include, but not be limited to, specified events that jeopardize the immediate physical safety of county residents. This bill would authorize a local government to enter into an agreement with a, or to use the records of its own, social services department to access the contact information of persons from the access and functional needs population, and the contact information of the designated emergency contacts of those persons, if any, for the sole purpose of enrolling those individuals, who are residents of that local government, in a city-operated, county-operated, or city-and-county-operated public emergency warning system, as specified. The bill would require a local government that enters into an agreement to access information of resident accountholders or designated emergency contacts to, upon receipt of that information, notify residents and designated emergency contacts that they have been entered into the public emergency warning system. The bill would require a local government that enters into an agreement to access information to include procedures to enable any resident or designated emergency contact to opt out of the warning system and a process to terminate the receiving agency's access to the contact information of the resident or designated emergency contact from a county social services department. Existing law permits an authorized employee of a county social services department to disclose the name and residential address of elderly or disabled clients to police, fire, or paramedical personnel, or other designated emergency services personnel, in the event of a public safety emergency that necessitates the possible evacuation of the area in which those elderly or disabled clients reside. Existing law specifies that public safety emergencies include, but are not limited to, events that jeopardize the immediate physical safety of county residents. This bill would additionally permit those individuals' telephone numbers and email addresses to be disclosed and would specifically identify a public safety power shutoff as a public safety emergency. The bill would require a county social services agency that intends to disclose information as described above to notify elderly or disabled individuals receiving services of that fact and give the individual the option to opt out of having that information disclosed. The bill would limit the use of the disclosed information to providing emergency services in the event of a public safety emergency described above.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. August 3 set for first hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 3. Noes 0.) Reconsideration granted.

  2. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on G.O.

  3. Referred to Com. on G.O.

  4. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  5. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 3683.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  6. Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

  7. From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to consent calendar.

  8. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  9. Set for hearing June 1.

  10. Referral to Coms. on E., U. & C. and JUD. rescinded due to the shortened 2020 Legislative Calendar.

  11. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0. Page 3524.) (May 12). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  12. Set for hearing May 12.

  13. March 24 hearing postponed by committee.

  14. Set for hearing March 24.

  15. March 10 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.

  16. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on G.O.

  17. Set for hearing March 10.

  18. Referred to Coms. on G.O., E., U. & C., and JUD.

  19. From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 6.

  20. Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 7 co-sponsors · 114 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

  • Jackson

Co-sponsors (7)

Not signed on (114)

114 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 114 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

Failed 3 Yea · 0 Nay · 16 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 2008
Republican 1001
Democratic 0007
Total 30016
% of votes cast 16%0%0%84%
How each member voted (19)
Member Party Vote
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
Cooley — Yea
Mathis — Not Voting
Cooper — Not Voting
Gray — Not Voting
Low — Not Voting
Salas — Not Voting
Daly — Not Voting
Bigelow — Not Voting
Eduardo Garcia — Not Voting
Aguiar-Curry, Cecilia M. Democratic Not Voting
Berman, Marc Democratic Not Voting
Bonta, Mia Democratic Not Voting
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Not Voting
Quirk-Silva, Sharon Democratic Not Voting
Rivas, Robert Democratic Not Voting
Rubio, Blanca E. Democratic Not Voting
Gallagher, James Republican Not Voting
Lackey, Tom Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Consent Calendar SB794

Passed 39 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 27000
Democratic 9001
Republican 3000
Total 39001
% of votes cast 98%0%0%3%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Chang — Yea
Leyva — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Allen — Yea
Dodd — Yea
Hertzberg — Yea
Glazer — Yea
Borgeas — Yea
Roth — Yea
Morrell — Yea
Rubio — Yea
Wilk — Yea
Hill — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
Pan — Yea
Beall — Yea
Wieckowski — Yea
Bates — Yea
Monning — Yea
Melendez — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Nielsen — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Moorlach — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Archuleta, Bob Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Gonzalez, Lena A. Democratic Yea
Hurtado, Melissa Democratic Not Voting
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

Passed 13 Yea · 0 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 11002
Democratic 2000
Republican 0001
Total 13003
% of votes cast 81%0%0%19%
How each member voted (16)
Member Party Vote
Chang — Yea
Nielsen — Yea
Rubio — Yea
Wilk — Yea
Hill — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Allen — Yea
Dodd — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Glazer — Not Voting
Borgeas — Not Voting
Archuleta, Bob Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Not Voting

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety technology
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 794 do?
The California Emergency Services Act establishes the Office of Emergency Services in the office of the Governor and provides that the office is responsible for the state's emergency and disaster response services for natural, technological, or manmade disasters and emergencies, including responsibility for activities necessary to prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of emergencies and disasters to people and property. Existing law authorizes each county, including a city and county, to enter into an agreement to access the contact information of resident accountholders through the records of a public utility or other agency responsible for water service, waste and recycling services, or other property-related services for the sole purpose of enrolling county residents in a county-operated public emergency warning system. Existing law requires any county that enters into such an agreement to include procedures to enable any resident to opt out of the warning system and a process to terminate the receiving agency's access to the resident's contact information. Existing law prohibits the use of the information gathered for any purpose other than for emergency notification. This bill would expand these provisions to authorize a city to enter into an agreement to access the contact information of resident accountholders through the records of a public utility, as specified. The bill would also expand the types of public utilities that can enter into these agreements by defining public utility to include, among others, a local publicly owned electric utility, mobile telephony services, a public water agency, and an agency responsible for solid waste or recycling services. The bill would require a local government that enters into an agreement to access information of resident accountholders to, upon receipt of that information, notify residents that they have been entered into the public emergency warning system. The bill would require a local government that enters into an agreement to access information to include procedures to enable any resident to opt out of the warning system and a process to terminate the receiving agency's access to the contact information of the resident from a public utility. The bill would also authorize a governing body of a postsecondary institution that receives state funds, including funds for student financial assistance, to use its own enrollment, registration, and personnel records to access the contact information of students and employees for the sole purpose of enrolling students and employees in a university- or college-operated public emergency warning system. The bill would require the governing body of a postsecondary institution that receives state funds, including funds for student financial assistance, to notify students and employees that they have been entered into the public emergency warning system and include procedures to enable them to opt out of the warning system. Existing law requires a county, upon the next update to its emergency plan, to integrate access and functional needs into its emergency plan by addressing, at a minimum, how the access and functional needs population is served by emergency communications, emergency evacuation for individuals who are dependent on public transportation, and accessible emergency sheltering. Existing law permits an authorized employee of a county social services department to disclose the name and residential address of elderly or disabled clients to police, fire, or paramedical personnel, or other designated emergency services personnel, in the event of a public safety emergency that necessitates the possible evacuation of the area in which those elderly or disabled clients reside. Existing law requires the Director of Social Services to seek any federal approval necessary to implement these provisions, and prohibits these provisions from being implemented unless the director executes a declaration stating that any required federal approval has been obtained, and only for the duration of that approval. Existing law defines "public safety emergency" for these purposes to include, but not be limited to, specified events that jeopardize the immediate physical safety of county residents. This bill would authorize a local government to enter into an agreement with a, or to use the records of its own, social services department to access the contact information of persons from the access and functional needs population, and the contact information of the designated emergency contacts of those persons, if any, for the sole purpose of enrolling those individuals, who are residents of that local government, in a city-operated, county-operated, or city-and-county-operated public emergency warning system, as specified. The bill would require a local government that enters into an agreement to access information of resident accountholders or designated emergency contacts to, upon receipt of that information, notify residents and designated emergency contacts that they have been entered into the public emergency warning system. The bill would require a local government that enters into an agreement to access information to include procedures to enable any resident or designated emergency contact to opt out of the warning system and a process to terminate the receiving agency's access to the contact information of the resident or designated emergency contact from a county social services department. Existing law permits an authorized employee of a county social services department to disclose the name and residential address of elderly or disabled clients to police, fire, or paramedical personnel, or other designated emergency services personnel, in the event of a public safety emergency that necessitates the possible evacuation of the area in which those elderly or disabled clients reside. Existing law specifies that public safety emergencies include, but are not limited to, events that jeopardize the immediate physical safety of county residents. This bill would additionally permit those individuals' telephone numbers and email addresses to be disclosed and would specifically identify a public safety power shutoff as a public safety emergency. The bill would require a county social services agency that intends to disclose information as described above to notify elderly or disabled individuals receiving services of that fact and give the individual the option to opt out of having that information disclosed. The bill would limit the use of the disclosed information to providing emergency services in the event of a public safety emergency described above.
Who sponsors SB 794?
SB 794 is sponsored by Stern, Henry I. (Democratic), Dodd, Galgiani, Wilk, Gallagher, James (Republican), Limón, Monique (Democratic), Smith, and Jackson.
What is the current status of SB 794?
This bill died with 2019-2020 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 794?
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