AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 22, 2026

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 18, 2026

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 27, 2026

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 13, 2026

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 17, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

94

URGENCY STATUTE

Introduced by Assembly Member Ransom

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Bonta)

February 10, 2026

An act to amend Sections 53115.1 and 53115.2 of, and to add Sections 53115.2.1, 53115.4, and 53115.5 to, the Government Code, relating to emergency services, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

Vote: 2/3   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

(1) Existing law, the Warren-9-1-1-Emergency Assistance Act, establishes the State 911 Advisory Board (board) to advise the Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) on specified subjects relating to the state’s 911 emergency telephone response system, including the policies, practices, and procedures for the California 911 Emergency Communications Office (office). Existing law provides that the board consists of 11 members appointed by the Governor, including the Chief of the Public Safety Communications Division, who serves as the nonvoting chair.

Existing law establishes the Department of Technology within the Government Operations Agency. Existing law requires the department to conduct, in coordination with other interagency bodies as it deems appropriate, a comprehensive inventory of specified automated decision systems that have been proposed for use, development, or procurement by, or are being used, developed, or procured by, any state agency.

This bill would rename the board as the State 911 Advisory Board. The bill would revise the board membership by adding a representative from the Department of Technology and making the Chief of the Public Safety Communications Division a nonvoting member of the board rather than the chair. The bill would grant the Department of Technology oversight authority over the office for specified purposes, including the policies, practices, and procedures for the office. The bill would also authorize the board to hire independent experts for its advisory or oversight purposes, as provided.

(2) Existing law requires CalOES to develop a plan and timeline for the testing, implementation, and operation of a Next Generation 911 emergency communication system throughout the state, as provided.

This bill would require CalOES, by specified dates, to submit a quarterly report to the Legislature regarding the development and implementation of the Next Generation 911 system. The bill would require the report to include specified information, including progress toward, and major challenges facing, the statewide development and implementation of the system. The bill would prohibit CalOES from awarding a contract, or issuing a request for proposal for a contract, for a Next Generation 911 system unless specified conditions are met.

(3) Existing law establishes the California State Auditor’s Office, headed by the California State Auditor, to conduct performance audits as mandated by statute, as provided.

This bill would require the California State Auditor to conduct an audit, beginning no later than September 1, 2026, of the implementation of the Next Generation 911 system by CalOES, and would specify certain evaluations, including the office’s current and prior vetting processes for vendor qualifications. The bill would authorize the California State Auditor to contract with technical experts to complete the audit, and require CalOES to report its findings to specified entities.

(4) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 53115.1 of the Government Code is amended to read:

53115.1.

(a) There is in state government the State 911 Advisory Board.

(b) The board shall be comprised of the following members appointed by the Governor who shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.

(1) The Chief of the Public Safety Communications Division shall serve as a nonvoting member of the board.

(2) One representative from the Department of the California Highway Patrol.

(3) Two representatives on the recommendation of the California Police Chiefs Association.

(4) Two representatives on the recommendation of the California State Sheriffs’ Association.

(5) Two representatives on the recommendation of the California Fire Chiefs Association.

(6) Two representatives on the recommendation of the CalNENA Executive Board.

(7) One representative on the joint recommendation of the executive boards of the state chapters of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, Inc.

(8) One representative from the Department of Technology.

(c) Recommending authorities shall give great weight and consideration to the knowledge, training, and expertise of the appointee with respect to their experience within the California 911 system. Board members should have at least two years of experience as a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) manager or county coordinator, except where a specific person is designated as a member.

(d) Members of the board shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor, but may not serve more than two consecutive two-year terms, except as follows:

(1) The presiding Chief of the Public Safety Communications Division shall serve for the duration of his or her that presiding chief’s tenure.

(2) Four of the members shall serve an initial term of three years.

(e) Advisory board members shall not receive compensation for their service on the board, but may be reimbursed for travel and per diem for time spent in attending meetings of the board.

(f) The advisory board shall meet quarterly in public sessions in accordance with the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2). The division shall provide administrative support to the State 911 Advisory Board. The State 911 Advisory Board, board. The board, at its first meeting, shall adopt bylaws and operating procedures consistent with this article and establish committees as necessary.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any member of the advisory board may designate a person to act as that member in his or her that member’s place and stead for all purposes, as though the member were personally present.

SEC. 2.

Section 53115.2 of the Government Code is amended to read:

53115.2.

(a) The State 911 Advisory Board shall advise and may make formal recommendations to the office on all of the following subjects:

(1) Policies, practices, and procedures for the California 911 Emergency Communications Office.

(2) Technical and operational standards for the California 911 system consistent with the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) standards.

(3) Training standards for county coordinators and Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) managers.

(4) Budget, funding, and reimbursement decisions related to the State Emergency Number Account.

(5) Proposed projects and studies conducted or funded by the State Emergency Number Account.

(6) Expediting the rollout of Enhanced 911 Phase II technology.

(b) Upon request of a local public agency, the board shall conduct a hearing on any conflict between a local public agency and the office regarding a final plan that has not been approved by the office pursuant to Section 53114. The board shall meet within 30 days following the request, and shall make a recommendation to resolve the conflict to the office within 90 days following the initial hearing by the board pursuant to the request.

(c) The State 911 Advisory Board may hire an independent technical expert for advisory or oversight purposes. The board shall not hire an independent expert who has worked for the Office of Emergency Services, or a current or former vendor, in the prior two years.

(d) The Office of Emergency Services shall timely share all information relevant to items pending before the board and prior to the implementation of plans in order to receive actionable feedback from the State 911 Advisory Board.

SEC. 3.

Section 53115.2.1 is added to the Government Code, to read:

53115.2.1.

The Department of Technology shall have oversight power over the California 911 Emergency Communications Office on all of the following subjects:

(a) Policies, practices, and procedures for the office.

(b) Technical and operational standards for the state 911 system consistent with the National Emergency Number Association standards.

(c) Expediting the rollout of Enhanced 911 Phase II technology.

(d) Changes to approved plans.

(e) Evaluating transition plans. transition plans to complete the adoption of Next Generation 911.

(f) Outcomes of reports pursuant to Section 53115.4.

SEC. 4.

Section 53115.4 is added to the Government Code, to read:

53115.4.

(a) On or before the applicable dates specified in paragraph (1), the Office of Emergency Services shall submit a quarterly report to the Legislature regarding the development and implementation of, and the total and current year funding spent on, the Next Generation 911 system.

(1) The Office of Emergency Services shall submit each report required pursuant to this subdivision on each of the following dates:

(A) The first report shall be submitted on or before September 1, 2026. October 1, 2026.

(B) The second report shall be submitted on or before December 1, 2026. January 1, 2027.

(C) The third report shall be submitted on or before March 1, 2027. April 1, 2027.

(2) The reports required pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.

(b) The reports required by subdivision (a) shall include the following information:

(1) Documentation of progress toward, and major challenges facing, statewide development and implementation of a Next Generation 911 system, including technological, operational, and legal or contractual challenges.

(2) Proposed solutions to the challenges identified in paragraph (1), the potential costs of such solutions, effects on and changes to the implementation timeline and expected date of completion, and progress made in implementing a solution.

(c) The Office of Emergency Services shall submit a copy of each quarterly report to the following:

(1) The chair of the budget committees of both houses of the Legislature.

(2) The chair of the emergency management committees of both houses of the Legislature.

(3) The State 911 Advisory Board.

(4) The Legislative Analyst’s Office.

(d) Notwithstanding any other law, the Office of Emergency Services shall not award a contract, or issue a request for proposal for a contract, related to the Next Generation 911 system until both of the following are met:

(1) The audit described in Section 53115.5 is completed.

(2) The office submits a report to the Legislature, in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, describing the actions the office has taken or will take to implement the findings and recommendations of the audit described in Section 53115.5.

SEC. 5.

Section 53115.5 is added to the Government Code, to read:

53115.5.

(a) The California State Auditor shall, in accordance with Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 8543) of Division 1 of Title 2, conduct an audit regarding the implementation of the Next Generation 911 system by the Office of Emergency Services. The audit shall commence no later than September 1, 2026.

(b) The audit shall include an evaluation of all of the following:

(1) The office’s rationale for the original regional implementation approach and the extent to which outside entities or contractors were consulted in that decision, regardless of whether they were hired or not.

(2) The office’s current and prior vetting processes for vendor qualifications and an assessment of vendor readiness and performance in the development of the Next Generation 911 system.

(3) The nature and scope of the deficiencies identified in the regional approach, the timeline of when those deficiencies were documented, and the plans for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the system.

(4) Whether the proposed statewide plan is sufficient to resolve the challenges currently facing the project.

(5) The total lifecycle cost of the transition plan, including identified sunk and unrecoverable costs.

(6) A comparative cost-benefit analysis of maintaining the regional approach, adopting a hybrid governance model, or implementing statewide consolidation. This analysis shall include an assessment of costs, redundancy, and effectiveness in addressing existing problems, and the projected timeline for decommissioning the legacy 911 system.

(7) Whether the office considered alternative implementation options beyond the regional and statewide models.

(8) The degree of redundancy required to ensure reliability within the state’s risk environment.

(9) Whether regional systems were restricted from implementing system updates or were provided insufficient time to execute updates prior to the cancellation of the regional approach.

(10) The total cost of the unfulfilled regional project and the estimated costs of recommended options for future implementation of Next Generation 911.

(11) The systems in place to prevent future implementation errors.

(12) Whether the Department of Technology has been involved in the Next Generation 911 project, the extent of their involvement, and a determination of the appropriate level of the department’s future or continued involvement.

(13) Estimated timelines for the full implementation of the Next Generation 911 system and the decommissioning of the legacy 911 system.

(14) The adequacy of cybersecurity and privacy protections currently in place or planned for the system.

(15) The role of the State 911 Advisory Board in the adoption of the regional approach and the development of the transition plan, and recommendations for specific oversight powers or responsibilities that should be granted to the board.

(16) The status of procurement efforts for a new statewide service provider.

(17) The benefits and detriments of utilizing a single, permanent vendor for Next Generation 911 delivery.

(18) Whether the Legislature should consider a statewide Next Generation 911 system with a regional backup.

(c) The California State Auditor shall report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature, the Office of Emergency Services, and other appropriate entities. A report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to this section shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.

(d) The California State Auditor may, as necessary, contract with technical experts to assist in fulfilling the requirements of this section.

SEC. 6.

This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

To ensure that the Office of Emergency Services and the Next Generation 911 project are adequately planned and prepared to imminently bear the responsibility for the health and safety of Californians utilizing emergency 911 services, it is necessary for this act to take effect immediately.