AB 1185: California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program.

Existing law establishes the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program under the administration of the Director of Emergency Services to provide grant funding to improve the physical security of nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of violent attacks or hate crimes due to ideology, beliefs, or mission. Existing law authorizes applicants to use grant funds for prescribed security enhancements, including security training. Existing law makes the operation of the program contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act.

This bill would require the grant program to provide the grants to nonprofit organizations and would authorize the grant program to provide grants to an applicant that provides support to the above-described at-risk nonprofit organizations for vulnerability assessments, security trainings, mass notification alert systems, monitoring and response systems, and lifesaving emergency equipment. The bill would prohibit the director from taking into account during the evaluation of an application the applicants prior history with or receipt of grant funding to improve its physical security. The bill would require the director, when evaluating applications, to consider whether an applicant is more likely to be a target of hate-motivated violence.

Existing law requires the Office of Emergency Services to provide ongoing technical assistance for nonprofit organizations that require a vulnerability assessment for a state application to the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program or a threat assessment for a federal application to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program of the United States Department of Homeland Security.

This bill would require that the above-described technical assistance include a resource page on the offices internet website, as specified, and continuous outreach to stakeholders on available resources for vulnerability assessments outside the established grant cycle.