AB 781: Accessibility to emergency information and services: emergency shelters: persons with pets.

Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, provides that political subdivisions, as defined, have full power during a local emergency to provide mutual aid to any affected area in accordance with local ordinances, resolutions, emergency plans, or agreements. Existing law defines emergency plan for these purposes to mean official and approved documents that describe the principles and methods to be applied in carrying out emergency operations or rendering mutual aid during emergencies. Existing law requires that a county send a copy of its emergency plan to the Office of Emergency Services upon an update to the plan.

Upon the next update to a city or countys emergency plan, this bill would require a county to update its emergency plan to designate emergency shelters able to accommodate persons with pets, and would require a city that has previously adopted an emergency plan designating emergency shelters to update its emergency plan to designate emergency shelters able to accommodate persons with pets. This bill would require, upon the next update to a city or countys emergency plan, whenever a city or county designates any number of emergency shelters that it also designate at least one emergency shelter that can accommodate persons with pets. This bill would also require, upon the next update to a city or countys emergency plan, whenever a city or county designates any number of cooling centers or warming centers, that it also, to the extent practicable, designate at least one cooling center or warming center, as applicable, that can accommodate persons with pets. The bill would require an emergency shelter designated as able to accommodate persons with pets to be in compliance with safety procedures regarding the sheltering of pets referenced or established in the component of the state and local emergency plan and applicable disaster assistance policies and procedures of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

This bill would also require a city or county to include whether the cooling or warming center can accommodate pets whenever a city or county provides public information regarding the availability of a cooling center or warming center. This bill would require a city or county to make available to the public by posting on its internet website information for pet emergency preparedness, including, but not limited to, among other things, information for creating an evacuation plan and emergency checklist for pets consistent with recommendations publicly published by the Department of Food and Agriculture and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

This bill would also make various findings and declarations in this regard. By requiring cities and counties to update their emergency plans, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.