ARTICLE 1. General Provisions [8878.50. - 8878.52.]

Cal. Government Code - GOV 1.
in effect

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 8878.51. Section 8878.51.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) California is likely to experience moderate to severe earthquakes in the foreseeable future, and increased efforts to reduce earthquake hazards should be encouraged and supported. (b) Hundreds of state and local government buildings which are vulnerable to severe earthquake damage continue to be a serious danger to the lives of thousands of state and local government employees and the people who must visit and depend on these buildings in which vital services are often provided. (c) The Loma Prieta Earthquake of October 17, 1989, caused damage to state-owned buildings resulting in relocations of state government operations into more expensive leased facilities and some state buildings are now vacant. These facilities should be rehabilitated or replaced in order to reduce the long-term costs of providing state government services. (d) It is the responsibility of state and local governments to provide, to the greatest extent feasible, their employees and the public throughout the state with buildings that are safe, accessible, and able to withstand earthquake forces without endangering occupants or significantly disrupting the performance of essential services. (e) Therefore, the purposes of this bond act are to: (1) Fund retrofitting, reconstruction, repair, replacement, or relocation of state-owned buildings or facilities which have earthquake or other safety deficiencies. (2) Provide financial assistance to local governments for earthquake safety improvements in structures housing those agencies critical to the delivery of essential government functions in the event of emergencies and disasters.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 8878.52. Section 8878.52.

As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings: (a) “Agency” or “office” means the Office of Emergency Services. (b) “Committee” means the Earthquake Safety and Public Buildings Rehabilitation Finance Committee created pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 8878.111. (c) “Commission” means the Seismic Safety Commission. (d) “Fund” means the Earthquake Safety and Public Buildings Rehabilitation Fund of 1990 created pursuant to Section 8878.55. (e) “Local government” means any city, county, city and county, or special district. (f) “Project” means a program of work to retrofit, reconstruct, repair, replace, or relocate, for local government-owned facilities only, a building, facility, or both, which is owned by any city, county, city and county, or special district and which is included in an application for a grant of funds. (g) “State Architect” means the Office of the State Architect. (h) “State building or facility” means any building or structure owned by a state agency, which is identified pursuant to Section 8878.60, except for vehicular bridges, roadways, highways, or any facilities or buildings owned by the University of California or the California State University. (i) “Local government building or facility” means an existing essential services building, as defined in Section 16007 of the Health and Safety Code, or an emergency or public safety local building as identified in Section 8878.99, which is owned by a city, county, city and county, or special district. (j) State or local government buildings shall not include those owned by private for-profit or private nonprofit corporations, or those owned by any combination, consortium, or joint powers agreement that includes a private nonprofit corporation. (k) “Retrofit” means to either strengthen the structure of a building or facility, or to provide the means necessary to reduce the seismic force level experienced by a building or facility during an earthquake, so as to significantly reduce hazards to life and safety while concomitantly providing for the substantially safe egress of occupants during and immediately after such an earthquake.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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