Emergency Management Assistance Compact: California Wildfire Mitigation Financial Assistance Program.

Existing law ratifies, approves, and sets forth the provisions of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, an interstate agreement that provides for mutual assistance between states responding to emergencies and disasters. Under existing law, the compact becomes inoperative on March 1, 2028, and is repealed as of January 1, 2029. This bill would change the inoperative and repealed dates to make the compact inoperative on March 1, 2038, and repealed as of January 1, 2039. Existing law establishes, within the office of the Governor, the Office of Emergency Services, under the direction of the Director of Emergency Services. Existing law charges the Office of Emergency Services with coordinating various emergency activities within the state. The Joint Exercise of Powers Act authorizes two or more public agencies, if authorized by their legislative or other governing bodies, to enter into an agreement to jointly exercise any power common to the contracting parties, as provided. That act requires, among other things, that the agreement state the purpose of agreement or power to be exercised and provides for the method by which the purpose will be accomplished or the manner in which the power will be exercised. Existing law requires the Office of Emergency Services to enter into a joint powers agreement pursuant to the Joint Exercise of Powers Act with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop and administer a comprehensive wildfire mitigation program to, among other things, encourage cost-effective structure hardening and retrofitting to create fire-resistant homes, businesses, and public buildings. Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal, in consultation with specified state officials, to identify building retrofits and structure hardening measures, and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to identify defensible space, vegetation management, and fuel modification activities, that are eligible for financial assistance under the program. Existing law specifies the types of designated wildfire hazard areas eligible for funding under the program. Existing law authorizes the joint powers authority administering the program to accept federal funds, as specified. Existing law requires the joint powers authority to develop criteria and a scoring methodology to prioritize financial assistance provided through the program based on specific factors. Existing law imposes specified reporting requirements on the joint powers authority, requires it to report to the Legislature by July 1, 2024, and authorizes it to enter into cooperative agreements with other federal, state, regional, and local agencies. Existing law makes the operation of the program contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature and repeals the program's provisions on July 1, 2025. This bill would require an additional joint powers authority report to be submitted by July 1, 2028, and would extend the program's repeal date to July 1, 2029.