Shelter crises: fire and life safety standards.

Existing law authorizes a governing body of a political subdivision, as those terms are defined, to declare a shelter crisis if the governing body makes a specified finding. Upon declaration of a shelter crisis, existing law, among other things, suspends certain state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances to the extent that strict compliance would prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of the shelter crisis. This bill would authorize a city with a population of more than 3,500,000 to permit the operation of an emergency housing facility year round when the facility does not comply with state building standards for local fire and life safety standards if they submit reasonable standards to the State Fire Marshal that include specified minimum requirements, including, among other things, 24-hour active fire watch, emergency evacuation signage and emergency egress lighting, among other things. The State Fire Marshal would be required to review the standards within 30 days and either approve them or respond as to why they do not meet the threshold requirements. The bill would authorize permits for a period of 90 days and would authorize 90-day extensions, not to exceed 730 days of operation, and would prohibit the authorization of new permits on and after January 1, 2023.