Memorial to California firefighters: modifications.

Existing law authorizes the construction of a memorial to California firefighters on the grounds of the State Capitol, but prohibits the expenditure of state funds for purposes of the memorial. This bill would authorize the California Fire Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to the families of fallen firefighters, in consultation with the Department of General Services, to prepare a plan to construct modifications to the existing memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol, which may include the construction of a new wall within the existing footprint of the memorial that would include the names of additional fallen firefighters. The bill would require the Department of General Services, if the foundation prepares a plan pursuant to those provisions, to take specified actions to ensure that the design, review, inspection, and construction of the proposed modifications meet prescribed requirements. The bill would require the foundation, if it undertakes responsibility to modify the memorial pursuant to these provisions, in consultation with the Department of General Services, to establish a schedule for the design and construction, implement procedures to solicit designs, devise a process for the choice of design for the proposed modifications, and report to the Joint Committee on Rules on the proposed modifications. The bill would require the California Fire Foundation to submit a plan for the proposed modifications to the Department of General Services and the Joint Committee on Rules for their review and approval. The bill would prohibit the foundation from commencing construction of any proposed modifications to the memorial until the master plan of the State Capitol Park is approved and adopted by the Joint Committee on Rules, or January 1, 2021, whichever occurs first. The bill would prohibit the commencement of any approved modifications unless the Joint Committee on Rules and the Department of Finance have verified that sufficient private donations have been secured to complete construction of the modifications. The bill would require that any modifications to the memorial be funded exclusively by private donations secured by the foundation.