AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 2, 2026
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 18, 2026
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 27, 2026
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 15, 2026
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 19, 2026
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
94
Introduced by Assembly Member Ransom
February 20, 2026
An act to add Section 8570.7 to the Government Code, and to add Section 590.5 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to emergency preparedness.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: no
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, generally prescribes duties with regard to various types of emergencies and disasters, including requiring the Governor to coordinate the State Emergency Plan and those programs necessary for the mitigation of the effects of an emergency in this state. Existing law requires the Office of Emergency Services to include in the State Hazard Mitigation Plan an evaluation of risks from specified causes of a long-term electrical outage and, based on that analysis, requires the plan to identify cost-effective and feasible measures to lessen risks from those hazards, including, hardening the critical infrastructure of electrical utilities.
This bill would require, on or before July 1, 2027, 2028, the Office of Emergency Services, in consultation with the State Energy
Resources Conservation and Development Commission and the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, to submit an assessment to the relevant policy committees of the Senate and Assembly that (1) identify and evaluate
identifies and evaluates emergency types during which operators of direct-current fast-charging station sites should be required to maintain operations, Californians’ access to fuel and transportation resources may be limited in a manner that would impact public health and safety, (2) identify direct-current fast-charging
station sites identifies fuel and transportation resources that are important to maintain during each emergency type based on specified factors, and (3) develop recommendations on how long energy should be maintained during each emergency type and on requirements for station operators to ensure operability of
identified station sites during each emergency type, as provided. The bill would require, on or before January 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, an operator of a direct-current fast-charging station site identified by the Office of Emergency Services to submit an emergency management plan to the
Office of Emergency Services that considers options to be used during an emergency to maintain operations, as provided. The bill would require the
Office of Emergency Services to review the emergency management plans and consult with the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety and the Energy Commission, as necessary. provides recommendations for actions the state should take in the event of an emergency to ensure that fuel and transportation resources necessary for public health and safety are available during the emergency, as provided.
This bill would require an electrical corporation to consider electric vehicle charging stations in its annual report and emergency and disaster preparedness plan.
Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime.
Because certain provisions of this bill would be part of the act and therefore a violation of the bill’s requirements, or a violation of a PUC action implementing its requirements, would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 8570.7 is added to the Government Code, to read:
8570.7.
(a) On or before July 1, 2027, 2028, the Office of Emergency Services, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, shall do submit an assessment to the relevant policy committees of the Senate and Assembly that does all of the following:
(1) Identify and evaluate Identifies
and evaluates the types of emergencies during which operators of
direct-current fast-charging station sites should be required to maintain operations. Californians’ access to fuel and transportation resources may be limited in a manner that would impact public health and safety during the emergency. The emergency types the Office of Emergency Services shall evaluate include, but are not limited to, a seismic event, a deenergization event, an extreme weather condition, and a wildfire.
(2) Identify direct-current fast-charging station sites Identifies fuel and transportation resources that are important to maintain
maintain, and maintain access to, during each emergency type identified pursuant to paragraph (1) based on considerations that shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following factors:
(A) Population density. that is reliant on the fuel and transportation resources.
(B) Geographical area. location of the fuel and transportation resources.
(C) Types of fuel and transportation resources used by populations impacted by emergencies, including the rate of electric vehicle adoption in a region prone to emergencies.
(D) Evacuation fuel and transportation resources needed for different types of emergencies.
(E) Safety of accessing the station site
fuel and transportation resources during the emergency.
(F) Whether the population using the station site fuel and transportation resources can be adequately served by mobile charger deployment. alternative fuel and transportation resources during an emergency.
(4) Develop recommendations on requirements for operators of station sites identified pursuant to paragraph (2) to ensure operability of those station sites during each emergency type, including the type of backup power to be provided. For purposes of this paragraph, “backup power” means anything that may be used to provide off-grid energy to direct-current fast-charging stations, including, but not limited to, backup generators.
(3) Provides recommendations for actions the state should take in the event of an emergency to ensure that fuel and transportation resources necessary for public health and safety are available during the emergency, including recommendations for any fuel and transportation resources that should be made available to Californians under evacuation orders.
(b) The Office of Emergency Services shall provide opportunities for public comment and feedback when conducting the activities required pursuant to paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive.
subdivision (a).
(c) (1) On or before January 1, 2028, an operator of a direct-current fast-charging station site identified pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) shall submit an emergency management plan to the Office of Emergency Services that considers options to be used during an emergency, including, but not limited to, a seismic event, deenergization event, extreme weather condition, or wildfire, to maintain operations.
(2) The Office of Emergency Services shall review the emergency management plans and consult with the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety and the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, as necessary.
(3) An operator shall submit an emergency management plan annually and include a report on if, how, and when an identified station site was maintained during an emergency.
Section 590.5 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:
590.5.
An electrical corporation shall consider electric vehicle charging stations in its annual report and emergency and disaster preparedness plan prepared pursuant to commission General Order No. 166.
SEC. 3.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution.