For the purposes of this division, the following definitions apply:
(a) “Agency” means the California Health and Human Services Agency.
(b) “Department” means a department or other subdivision within the agency.
(c) “Emergency” means any condition or degree of emergency established under the California Emergency Services Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8550) of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
(d) “Office” means the Office of Response and Resilience.
(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 50, Sec. 4. (SB 187) Effective June 30, 2022.)
Commencing July 1, 2022, there is hereby established within the California Health and Human Services Agency the Office of Response and Resilience. The office shall provide policy, fiscal, and operational organization, coordination, and management when departments are preparing for, mitigating, responding to, or helping communities recover from an emergency. The office shall be administered by a director who shall be appointed by the secretary of the agency.
(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 50, Sec. 4. (SB 187) Effective June 30, 2022.)
In addition to the general duties set forth in Section 1891, the office shall have the following responsibilities:
(a) The office shall have the following emergency preparedness and mitigation duties.
(1) Perform a threat and risk assessment for each department, by hazard.
(2) Document each department’s capacity to respond to each hazard.
(3) Develop interdepartmental emergency training, exercises, and continuity programs.
(b) The office shall have the following emergency response duties:
(1) Provide policy, fiscal, and operational organization, coordination, and management related to department emergency response.
(2) Create and document a coordinated, interdepartmental response framework to lead departments through multiple, simultaneous, and complex hazards and emergency events.
(3) Maintain and update, as needed, the agency All Hazards Dashboard. The All Hazards Dashboard shall do both of the following:
(A) Identify the impacts of emergency and hazardous events on communities by establishing a single reference point for situational awareness and cross-departmental coordination.
(B) Provide key data necessary to support agency response operations and automate related
reporting processes.
(c) The office shall have the following emergency recovery responsibilities:
(1) Coordinate and manage interdepartmental fiscal and programmatic emergency recovery after any emergency.
(2) Work, in coordination with the Office of Emergency Services, to obtain federal resources for departments that may be available as a result of an emergency.
(d) The office shall provide a report to the Legislature, pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code, by August 31, 2024, on the effectiveness of the office and whether it enhances operations throughout the emergency management continuum.
(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 50, Sec. 4. (SB 187) Effective June 30, 2022.)
For purposes of implementing this division, the agency and the office may enter into exclusive or nonexclusive contracts, or amend existing contracts, on a bid or negotiated basis. On or before June 30, 2024, contracts entered into or amended pursuant to this section are exempt from Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 14825) of Part 5.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, Section 19130 of the Government Code, Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code, and the State Administrative Manual, and are exempt from the review or approval of any division of the Department of General Services.
(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 50, Sec. 4. (SB 187) Effective June 30, 2022.)