Emergency services: catastrophic plans.

2025-2026 Regular Session

OES must develop and coordinate a defined set of catastrophe plans (floods, earthquakes, wildfires, pandemic, and CBRNE) with state and local partners.

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (March 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

#emergencyservices #catastrophicplans

Purpose and Intent

AB 2472, introduced by the Assembly Committee on Emergency Management, would add a new provision to the Government Code (Section 8586.10) directing the California Office of Emergency Services (OES), in consultation with relevant state and local agencies, to develop catastrophe-oriented emergency plans. The overarching goal is to coordinate planning for major disasters and emergencies that could have widespread or severe impacts on people and property in California.

Key Provisions

New duty for OES: The Office of Emergency Services must develop catastrophic plans in collaboration with other state and local agencies. This creates a formal, ongoing planning obligation for high-prensity disaster scenarios.

Definition and scope of “catastrophic plans”: The bill explicitly enumerates several disaster-response plans that would be encompassed by the term “catastrophic plans.” These include:

Northern California Catastrophic Flood Response Plan
Bay Area Earthquake Plan
California Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake and Tsunami Response Plan
Southern California Catastrophic Earthquake Plan
Catastrophic Wildfires in the Wildland-Urban Interface
Pandemic Influenza Incident Plan
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive (CBRNE) Incident Plan

Inter-agency coordination: The language emphasizes consultation with relevant state and local agencies, signaling a coordinated, multi-agency approach to developing and updating these catastrophe plans.

Who/What Would Be Affected

State agency: Office of Emergency Services (OES) would be the primary agency responsible for developing catastrophe plans.

Partnerships: The development process would involve collaboration with other state departments and local governments or agencies involved in emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.

Plans affected: The seven listed catastrophic plans (flood, earthquakes, wildfires in wildland-urban interface, pandemic, and CBRNE incidents) would fall under the umbrella of AB 2472’s mandate.

Procedural and Timeline Considerations

Legislative status: As amended, the bill would require OES to initiate and oversee the development of catastrophe plans in consultation with other agencies. The exact milestones, timelines, and updating procedures are not specified in the text provided, suggesting that subsequent amendments or regulations may establish schedules.

Fiscal implications: The bill notes “No appropriation” in its digest, and a separate fiscal committee note indicates no direct appropriation is requested by the bill. However, practical implementation would require funding for plan development, interagency coordination, and potential exercises or updates.

Policy context: This bill builds on the California Emergency Services Act by formalizing catastrophe planning as a defined, multi-plan framework, aligning with ongoing concerns about regional and statewide disaster resilience.

Bottom Line

AB 2472 would formalize and expand California’s disaster planning apparatus by obligating OES to develop a defined set of catastrophe plans through multi-agency collaboration. It targets major high-risk hazards (flooding, earthquakes, wildfires, pandemics, and CBRNE incidents) to enhance preparedness, coordination, and resilience across the state.

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