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Assembly committee advances bill to create state individual disaster assistance program
Summary
The Assembly Emergency Management Committee voted to pass AB 262 to the appropriations committee. The bill would establish the California Individual Assistance Act to let Cal OES provide grants for individual and community disaster needs when federal aid is unavailable; members debated eligibility, funding and implementation details.
Assemblymember Heath Colosa’s AB 262, the California Individual Assistance Act, was advanced out of the Assembly Emergency Management Committee on a 4–2 vote, sending the measure to the Committee on Appropriations.
AB 262 would create a grant program administered by the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to provide direct financial assistance to local agencies, community organizations and individuals for disaster-related costs when federal assistance is not available. The bill’s author said the program is intended to cover needs such as housing assistance, groceries, income replacement and medical expenses that go unmet when events fall short of federal thresholds.
The bill’s sponsor, the League of California Cities, and Mayor Deborah Garnes of Rio Dell described gaps in federal coverage during the 2022 earthquakes that severely damaged Rio Dell. Garnes said the 6.4 magnitude quake…
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