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State outlines May-revision requests for Office of Emergency Services, proposes cut to survivor cash assistance
Summary
The Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 on Public Safety heard May revision budget proposals for the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) that include new capital spending, a FEMA reimbursement authority increase, state and local cybersecurity grants and a proposed $49.7 million cut to a survivor cash-assistance pilot.
The Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 on Public Safety heard May revision budget proposals for the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) that include new capital spending, federal trust fund adjustments and program cuts.
Department of Finance representative outlined the largest proposals, including a $23.2 million general fund request to relocate and rebuild the Red Mountain communications facility by constructing three new sites (Rattlesnake Peak, Alder Camp and Big Lagoon) and an increase of $1.2 billion in federal trust fund authority to reflect updated FEMA reimbursement projections. The administration also proposed a third round of state and local cybersecurity grants (about $605,000 in state operations and $11.5 million in local assistance) and provisional language for next-generation 911 funding that would cap the monthly 911 charge at the rate effective Jan. 1, 2025 (41¢ per phone line).
The Department of Finance official said the control section language would authorize augmentations related to recovery from the Eaton and Palisades fires within the cumulative $2.5 billion previously authorized (control sections 90 and 90.01 of the 2024 budget act). Heather Gonzales of the Legislative Analyst’s Office told the committee she supported the next-generation 911 funding but recommended OES provide estimates of costs to maintain the legacy 911 network for a year and quarterly progress reports. She also recommended contingency options for the state/local cybersecurity grant program in case federal matching funds decline.
The May revision also proposes a reduction: the administration would not continue the flexible cash assistance pilot for survivors of crime, producing $49.7 million in savings. Department of Finance staff described the flexible assistance program as a one-time pilot funded in the 2022 budget act and said the administration proposes not to fund it in the next fiscal year because of revenue constraints.
Public commenters at the end of the hearing urged restoration of victim services funding. Several speakers — including representatives of victim-service coalitions and advocacy groups — said VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) and other survivor services are essential to public safety and asked the Legislature to hold programs harmless or provide one-time backfill.
The subcommittee did not vote on any of these items during the hearing; members asked the administration and LAO to provide additional detail on contingency plans, reporting timelines, and the cost estimates for maintaining legacy 911 operations while the next-generation system is completed.
Plans for the three communication sites, the proposed FEMA authority increase, cybersecurity grants, and the proposed elimination of the survivor flexible cash assistance program will return for further consideration as the budget process continues. The committee requested more specific cost estimates and quarterly reporting for the next-generation 911 project.
