AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 6, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

98

URGENCY STATUTE

Introduced by Assembly Member Calderon

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bennett and Michelle Rodriguez)

February 17, 2026

An act to add Article 4.2 (commencing with Section 8577) to Chapter 7 of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code, relating to state government, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

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

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, establishes the Office of Emergency Services within the office of the Governor and charges it Governor under the supervision of the Director of Emergency Services. The act charges the office with responsibility for the state’s emergency and disaster response services for natural, technological, or manmade disasters and emergencies. The act specifies that its provisions do not prevent the Governor or the office from formally recognizing committees or boards established by or with segments of the private sector, public agencies, or both, that control facilities, resources, or the provision of services essential to the mitigation of the effects of an emergency or recovery therefrom.

This bill would require the Office of Emergency Services, on or before January 1, 2027, to establish, within its office, establish and lead the Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems Task Force to develop a statewide strategy to protect mass gatherings, critical infrastructure, and other soft targets from attacks by unmanned aircraft systems. The bill would require the office Director of Emergency Services to seek to compose a membership of the task force that includes representatives of specific public and private entities, as specified, including, among others, the State Threat Assessment Center. The bill would authorize the task force to achieve its specific purpose, primary objective, and goals by developing or updating response plans specific to unmanned aircraft systems that integrate detection systems into existing emergency operation plans or incident command systems, among other things.

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.

Article 4.2 (commencing with Section 8577) is added to Chapter 7 of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code, to read:

Article 4.2. Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems Task Force

8577.2.8577.

For purposes of this article, the following definitions shall apply:

(a) “Office” means the Office of Emergency Services.

(b) “Task force” means the Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems Task Force established by this article.

(c) “Unmanned aircraft system” means the same as “unmanned aircraft system” pursuant to Section 44801(12) of Title 49 of the United States Code.

8577.6.8577.4.

The purpose of the task force shall be to organize and enhance the state’s lawful capabilities to detect, identify, track, and monitor unmanned aircraft systems and to support local and tribal governments in combating the unlawful use of unmanned aircraft systems that pose a threat to the safety and security of individuals, communities, and critical infrastructure.

8577.8.8577.6.

The primary objective of the task force shall be to develop and implement a statewide strategy to deter and counter attacks by unmanned aircraft systems by ensuring public safety entities have the resources, training, and operational capacity to detect, track, identify, and mitigate unmanned aircraft system threats.

8577.10.8577.8.

The goals of the task force shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(a) Protect critical infrastructure, mass gatherings, and other soft targets from threats by unmanned aircraft systems. systems in coordination with federally established airspace restrictions and operational requirements.

(b) Support the deployment of fixed or portable systems for the detection, tracking, identification, and mitigation of unmanned aircraft systems consistent with applicable laws. federal laws, regulations, and restrictions.

8577.12.8577.10.

The task force may achieve its purpose, primary objective, and goals by doing any of the following:

(a) Developing or updating response plans specific to unmanned aircraft systems that integrate detection systems into existing emergency operation plans or incident command systems.

(b) Conducting risk assessments to identify high-priority areas areas, in alignment with federal prioritization framework, for the detection of unmanned aircraft systems, including critical infrastructure, public events, or disaster-prone areas.

(c) Developing Leveraging existing training methodologies to document standard operating procedures for responding to unauthorized or malicious activity by unmanned aircraft systems.

(d) Coordinating with federal agencies to ensure compliance with and provide feedback on federal laws and regulations governing the detection and mitigation of unmanned aircraft systems.

(e) Planning for the integration of detection systems for unmanned aircraft systems with existing public safety technologies, including geographic information system (GIS) platforms or computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems.

(f) Developing training for first responders Ensuring first responders receive appropriate training on the operation of specific detection systems for unmanned aircraft systems.

(g) Developing train-the-trainer programs to build local capacity for ongoing training efforts. efforts, as appropriate in the context of federal training requirements.

(h) Providing scenario-based response training to prepare responders for real-world threats by unmanned aircraft systems, including swarming drones or unmanned aircraft systems equipped with payloads.

(i) Developing secure training for personnel on the interpretation of unmanned aircraft system detection data in the context of federal law and regulation and the integration of this data into decisionmaking processes. processes in alignment with federal training standards.

(j) Designing tabletop exercises to simulate unmanned aircraft system-related incidents and test response plans, standard operating procedures, and coordination protocols.

(k) Organizing functional exercises to test the operation of unmanned aircraft system detection systems and the integration of these systems with other public safety technologies.

(l) Running full-scale exercises to simulate large-scale unmanned aircraft system threats, including unauthorized activity at a public event or near critical infrastructure, and multijurisdictional exercises to test coordination between the state, local agencies, tribal governments, federal agencies, and private sector partners.

(m) Conducting after-action reviews to identify lessons learned and areas for improvement following exercises.

SEC. 2.

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 prepare for and mitigate the evolving threat to public safety from attacks by malicious use of unmanned aircraft systems, including attacks on critical infrastructure and mass gatherings, it is necessary for this act to take effect immediately.