AGENDA REPORT
City Council
MEETING
DATE:
August 26, 2026
PREPARED
BY:
Josh Gordon, Fire Chief DEPARTMENT
DIRECTOR:
Josh Gordon, Fire Chief
DEPARTMENT: Fire & Marine Safety CITY
MANAGER:
Jennifer Campbell
SUBJECT:
Response to Council-Initiated Item 12A: AB 747 Evacuation Technology, Impact Analysis, and Related Objective Standards (Attachment 1)
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
1. Receive the AB 747 Council Summary Crosswalk (Attachment 2);
2. Provide direction to staff to develop a scoped work plan and preliminary cost estimate for an Evacuation Master Plan along with any other recommendations for next steps and use of programs and technology.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:
The action being considered by the City Council is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a “project” under Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. The action is also exempt from CEQA under Section 15378(b)(5) of the CEQA Guidelines because it involves an organizational or administrative activity of government that will not result in direct or indirect physical change in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN/CITY COUNCIL FOCUS AREAS:
This item supports the General Plan Safety Element by advancing evacuation planning and preparation of an Evacuation Master Plan. It also supports the City Council’s focus area of public health and safety for the protection of life, property, and the physical environment.
FISCAL CONSIDERATIONS:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action. Initial scoping can be completed with existing staff resources. Preparation of an Evacuation Master Plan, validation of roadway and GIS data, and advanced traffic or evacuation modeling are expected to require specialized consultant support, assigned staff capacity, or both. 2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 1 of 27
The total cost cannot be determined until the geographic scope, number and type of emergency scenarios, modeling depth, condition of the City’s data, and required deliverables are defined.
Potential costs include consultant labor, data preparation, model development and calibration, scenario testing, staff oversight, technical documentation, and future data and model maintenance. Staff will return to the City Council with a proposed scope, preliminary cost estimate, staffing responsibilities, and potential funding options before implementation.
BACKGROUND:
On March 25, 2026, Deputy Mayor Jim O'Hara brought forward Council-initiated Item 12A, “Direction to Staff to Evaluate Methodologies, Tools, and Technologies for AB 747 Evacuation Impact Analysis and Related Objective Standards” (Attachment 3). The City Council directed staff to evaluate available approaches and return with findings and recommendations. The principal purpose of the item was to determine whether existing or emerging technologies could improve evacuation planning, quantify evacuation impacts, or support future objective development-review processes and decisions. This agenda report and its attachments are in response to the Council direction. The original 120-day target occurred during the month in which the City Council does not conduct regular meetings, and Deputy Mayor O'Hara agreed to the extended return date.
Item 12A asked staff to consider whether an approach is grounded in recognized life-safety and transportation-engineering principles; can support project-specific findings tied to a named corridor and applicable application date; uses transparent assumptions, data, and calculations that can be independently reviewed; can be applied consistently across projects and potentially through a shared regional framework; includes appropriate professional engineering validation; and could support a future relationship between quantified evacuation impacts and mitigation or improvement funding.
The legislation and the current Government Code should be read together. AB 747 (2019) added Government Code section 65302.15, requiring the Safety Element to identify evacuation routes and evaluate their capacity, safety, and viability under a range of emergency scenarios. AB 1409 (2021) later amended the same section to add evacuation locations. SB 99 (2019) amended Government Code section 65302; its limited-access requirement is currently codified in section 65302(g)(5) and requires identification of residential developments in hazard areas that do not have at least two emergency evacuation routes. The bills explain how the requirements were enacted and amended, while the Government Code contains the operative legal requirements.
Encinitas has addressed substantial portions of these requirements at the planning level through the Safety Element, which identifies potential evacuation routes, constrained roadways, limitedaccess residential areas, and the need for an Evacuation Master Plan.
ANALYSIS:
Overall finding. Staff separated the Council direction into two related but different workstreams.
First: Operational evacuation technology includes public warnings, evacuation orders and zones, mapping, incident coordination, and public messaging. Second: Evacuation-capacity analysis addresses route performance, traffic queues, bottlenecks, evacuation clearance time, route failure, project-specific effects, and possible objective development standards. Encinitas has substantial capability in the first workstream; the primary remaining gap is in implementing the analytical and data-maintenance functions associated with Government Code sections 65302(g)(5) and 65302.15.
Existing City foundation. The City currently uses Genasys Protect, Alert San Diego, WebEOC, 2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 2 of 27
and ArcGIS for public warning, operational coordination, evacuation zones, mapping, and spatial data. The Safety Element identifies potential evacuation routes, constrained roadways, and limited-access residential areas. These systems and adopted policies provide a strong foundation, but they do not establish a complete and validated method for calculating evacuation clearance time, bottleneck throughput, route failure, or the project-specific evacuation effect of new development.
Technology and methodologies reviewed. Staff reviewed existing operational systems and representative planning, modeling, and development-review options. Genasys Protect, Alert San Diego, and WebEOC support warnings, evacuation zones, coordination, and public information; ArcGIS can organize route, hazard, parcel, evacuation-location, and constrained-access data; and Synchro can support selected intersection and corridor traffic analyses. Potential options reviewed include City GIS-based route scoring; consultant-supported evacuation-clearance or dynamic traffic-assignment modeling such as EVAC+ or similar methods; detailed simulation tools such as Vissim, Aimsun, or TransModeler for complex corridors; JOSH or a similar method for possible project-level screening; and Perimeter or similar collaborative mapping and publicinformation platforms. WUI-NITY was considered a research reference rather than a near-term City tool. Staff’s assessment is that existing operational systems should be maintained, ArcGIS should serve as the data foundation, and consultant-led modeling should be evaluated for the Evacuation Master Plan.
Evaluation against the Item 12A criteria. The technology review did not identify one product that performs every required function or is ready for immediate adoption as the City's solution for implementing Government Code sections 65302(g)(5) and 65302.15. Any future methodology used for project-level decisions will require verified local data, documented and independently reviewable assumptions, repeatable findings, consistent application, consultant-supported modeling where needed, and professional validation.
Project-specific determinations. Staff did not identify an existing City tool or adopted methodology that currently produces a defensible project-specific evacuation finding tied to a named roadway corridor and applicable application date. If the City later considers an objective project-level standard, each analysis should identify the development application; the date used to determine the applicable standards; the affected evacuation corridor, roadway segments, intersections, and bottlenecks; the source and date of the underlying data; the emergency scenarios and assumptions used; and the project's calculated effect on evacuation time, traffic queues, or route capacity.
Regional applicability. Staff did not identify an existing regional evacuation-capacity standard that is ready for adoption by Encinitas and neighboring jurisdictions. A shared regional framework may nevertheless be feasible using common definitions, minimum data requirements, emergency scenarios, validation criteria, reporting formats, and professional-review standards. Each jurisdiction would still need to validate and maintain its own roadway, hazard, evacuation-zone, development, and operational data and independently adopt any standard used for local development decisions. Regional compatibility should be evaluated during preparation of the Evacuation Master Plan and any future methodology pilot.
Technology and professional capacity. Technology alone will not close the identified gap. The City has access to Synchro for routine intersection and corridor traffic-operations review; however, Engineering has confirmed that advanced model development, calibration, complex scenario analysis, evacuation applications, and associated technical documentation are presently consultant-supported. Synchro may support selected corridor or intersection analyses, but it is not by itself a comprehensive citywide evacuation-clearance model or an adopted project-level 2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 3 of 27
evacuation standard.
Objective development-review standards. The current work does not establish an objective project-level evacuation standard. Before such a standard could be considered, the City would need verified local data, defined review triggers, written and repeatable analytical procedures, professional traffic-engineering validation, applicant submittal requirements, staff review responsibilities, and an appeal and recordkeeping process. Any standard or project condition would also require review by the City Attorney's Office before returning to Council.
Development impact fees and mitigation funding. Staff has not established a technical or legal nexus between quantified evacuation impacts and a development impact fee or other funding requirement. Any future fee or mitigation program would require a separate technical nexus analysis, identification of eligible improvements, a defensible allocation method, and review by Finance and the City Attorney's Office. No fee is recommended as part of this action.
Recommended path forward. Staff recommends a phased next step rather than immediate procurement. The City should scope the Evacuation Master Plan as the coordinated implementation vehicle for Government Code sections 65302(g)(5) and 65302.15, validate priority roadway and GIS data, consolidate evacuation locations, identify representative areas and emergency scenarios, and establish criteria for comparing and piloting technology and modeling options. The work plan should determine which functions can be performed with existing systems, which require consultants, and whether a limited pilot of GIS route scoring, consultant-led evacuation modeling, JOSH or a similar project-screening method, or another tool would produce useful and defensible results. It should also identify departmental ownership, staffing, budget, procurement, data governance, regional compatibility, cybersecurity, records management, training, and maintenance needs. Staff would return to Council with costs, pilot findings, and policy options before any technology purchase, objective standard, fee, or recurring review program is considered. In parallel, staff would evaluate objective evacuation performance measures, including evacuation clearance time and project-added evacuation delay, to determine whether a technically defensible local standard can be developed for future Council consideration.
ATTACHMENT(S):
Attachment 1 - Deputy Mayor O’Hara’s March 25, 2026, Council Initiated Item 12A Attachment 2 – AB 747 Council Crosswalk
Attachment 3 - AB 747, SB 99, and AB 1409 Legislative Requirements 2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 4 of 27
2026-03-25 Item #12A Page 1 of 2
Attachment 1
2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 5 of 27
2026-03-25 Item #12A Page 2 of 2
2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 6 of 27
C ITY OF ENC INITAS | FIRE & MARINE SAFETY DEPARTMENT
AB 747 Evacuation Planning C rosswalk | Council Summary | August 2026 AB 747 EVACUATION PLANNING CROSSWALK
COUNCIL
TAKEAWAY
Encinitas has completed much of the planning-level work. Remaining work is to verify routes and evacuation locations, analyze route performance, address limited-access neighborhoods, complete the Evacuation Master Plan, and identify staffing and consultant costs.
What Council Is Being Asked to Decide
Phase 1: Scope Phase 2: Validate Phase 3: Consider
Scope the Evacuation Master Plan, validate priorityroute and evacuation-location data, and return with realistic consultant, staffing, and cost options.
Validate the City’s data and methodology before
returning to Council with recommendations
regarding software options or a potential
development-review standard.
After the initial work, return with results, costs,
staffing options, infrastructure priorities, and any
legally reviewed policy choices.
Council Crosswalk
The status below describes how far the City has progressed, not a legal opinion. The detailed evaluation document provides supporting technical discussion.
AB 747 AND RELATED
REQUIREMENTS WHERE ENCINITAS IS TODAY WHAT IS STILL MISSING HOW THE GAP CAN BE CLOSED BUDGET / STAFFING REALITY AB 747: Identify evacuation
routes
ADDRESSED AT THE PLANNING
LEVEL
The Safety Element maps potential
evacuation routes. Operational
systems support warnings, zones,
and incident coordination.
Confirm route details in the field and
maintain one reliable inventory of
routes and known constraints.
Use ArcGIS as the master map;
verify priority routes; connect
the information to Genasys and
WebEOC.
Mostly staff coordination and GIS
work, with limited consultant
help for setup and quality control.
AB 747: Evaluate route
capacity
PARTIALLY COMPLETE
The City has roadway and traffic
data and access to Synchro for
routine traffic review.
The City does not yet have a
validated method to show how long
evacuation may take, where traffic
will back up, or how routes perform
when conditions change.
Use consultant-supported
evacuation modeling. Use
Synchro for selected
intersections and corridors, not
as the complete citywide model.
This will likely be a significant
consultant-cost area. Advanced
Synchro and evacuation modeling
are not current in-house
capabilities.
AB 747: Evaluate route
safety and viability
PARTIALLY COMPLETE
Fire, WUI, roadway, and hazard
standards address many known
safety concerns. Staff also know
many local constraints.
A consistent citywide method is
needed to evaluate narrow roads,
bridges, rail crossings, gates,
flooding, wildfire, road closures, and
other failure points.
Complete field reviews, map
known hazards, score priority
routes, and test whether routes
remain usable during different
emergencies.
Requires coordinated staff review
and consultant assistance to
create a defensible method. Road
improvements would be a
separate capital cost.
AB 747: Evaluate a range of
emergency scenarios
PARTIALLY COMPLETE
The Safety Element and Emergency
Operations Plan address wildfire,
flooding, coastal hazards,
earthquakes, and other
emergencies.
The City has not adopted a common
set of scenarios and assumptions for
testing evacuation performance.
Create a practical scenario set in
the Evacuation Master Plan and
test representative
neighborhoods and corridors.
Consultants can build the
technical scenarios; City staff
must ensure they reflect real
operational conditions. Updates
and exercises create ongoing
costs.
Attachment 2
2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 7 of 27
C ITY OF ENC INITAS | FIRE & MARINE SAFETY DEPARTMENT
AB 747 Evacuation Planning C rosswalk | Council Summary | August 2026 AB 747 AND RELATED
REQUIREMENTS WHERE ENCINITAS IS TODAY WHAT IS STILL MISSING HOW THE GAP CAN BE CLOSED BUDGET / STAFFING REALITY SB 99: Identify residential
areas with fewer than two
evacuation routes
ADDRESSED AT THE PLANNING
LEVEL
The Safety Element identifies
constrained roadways and
residential areas with limited or
single access.
Verify the mapping and develop
strategies for priority neighborhoods
with limited access.
Update GIS data and develop
area-specific early-warning,
traffic-control, alternateevacuation, mitigation, and
emergency-response protocols.
Requires coordinated staff work
and possibly targeted consultant
analysis. Roadway improvements
would be separate capital costs.
AB 1409: Identify evacuation
locations
PARTIALLY COMPLETE
The City has operational sheltering
and regional evacuation resources.
The reviewed documents do not
establish one scenario-linked
inventory of shelters, receiving
areas, refuge areas, pickup points,
capacity, and accessibility needs.
Map locations in ArcGIS and
connect them to routes, hazards,
vulnerable populations, Genasys,
and WebEOC.
Requires staff and GIS work,
possible consultant help for setup
and analysis, and ongoing
maintenance.
AB 747 implementation:
Maintain evacuation data
and analysis
PARTIALLY COMPLETE
The City regularly updates its Safety
Element, hazard plans, and
emergency plans.
No single department is formally
assigned to own the evacuation
data, update schedule, and longterm program.
Assign a lead department,
supporting departments, data
owners, update cycles, and
quality-control responsibilities.
This is a continuing program, not
a one-time report. It requires
recurring staff time, GIS
maintenance, training, and
periodic consultant support.
Encinitas implementation
step: Complete the
Evacuation Master Plan
NOT YET COMPLETE
The Safety Element directs
preparation of an Evacuation Master
Plan and provides the policy
foundation for it.
The City still needs one plan that
brings together routes, locations,
scenarios, capacity, safety, viability,
priorities, and departmental
responsibilities.
Prepare a consultant-supported
master plan using verified City
data and a limited pilot in
representative areas.
Requires a defined scope, City
project manager,
interdepartmental team, and
consultant budget. Cost cannot
be estimated responsibly until the
scope is set.
Future choice—not required
by AB 747: Project-level
development review
NOT A CURRENT REQUIREMENT
Existing development reviews
already consider access, circulation,
Fire Code, and traffic issues.
No validated trigger, threshold,
applicant study method, peerreview process, fee structure, or legal framework currently exists.
Consider this only after the
Master Plan and pilot
demonstrate that a method is
accurate, understandable,
repeatable, and maintainable.
Would create new staff and
consultant review duties. It
should return as a separate
Council policy decision after
technical, fiscal, and legal review.
RECOMMENDED DIRECTION
Direct staff to scope the Evacuation Master Plan, validate priority-route and evacuation-location data, confirm constrained-neighborhood information, test representative evacuation scenarios, identify departmental ownership, and develop consultant options and full lifecycle cost estimates. Staff would then return to Council with findings and recommendations regarding potential technology platforms, project-level development-review standards, funding strategies, and other implementation options.
Key clarification: The City has Synchro, but advanced modeling requires consultant expertise; software access does not equal in-house capacity. 2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 8 of 27
SHARE THIS: Date Published: 08/30/2019 09:00 PM
SB-99 General plans: safety element: emergency evacuation routes. (2019-2020) Senate Bill No. 99
CHAPTER 202
An act to amend Section 65302 of the Government Code, relating to land use. [ Approved by Governor August 30, 2019. Filed with Secretary of State August 30, 2019. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 99, Nielsen. General plans: safety element: emergency evacuation routes.
The Planning and Zoning Law requires the legislative body of a city or county to adopt a comprehensive, longterm general plan that includes various elements, including a housing element and a safety element for the protection of the community from unreasonable risks associated with the effects of various geologic and seismic hazards, flooding, and wildfires. Existing law requires the safety element to address, among other things, evacuation routes related to identified fire and geologic hazards. Existing law requires the housing element to be revised according to a specific schedule. Existing law requires the planning agency to review and, if necessary, revise the safety element upon each revision of the housing element or local hazard mitigation plan, but not less than once every 8 years, to identify new information relating to flood and fire hazards and climate adaptation and resiliency strategies applicable to the city or county that was not available during the previous revision of the safety element.
This bill would require the city or county, upon the next revision of the housing element on or after January 1, 2020, to review and update the safety element to include information identifying residential developments in hazard areas that do not have at least 2 emergency evacuation routes. By increasing the duties of local officials, this 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.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal Committee: yes Local Program: yes THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 65302 of the Government Code is amended to read:
65302. The general plan shall consist of a statement of development policies and shall include a diagram or diagrams and text setting forth objectives, principles, standards, and plan proposals. The plan shall include the Home Bill Information California Law Publications Other Resources My Subscriptions My Favorites Attachment 3
2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 9 of 27
following elements:
(a) A land use element that designates the proposed general distribution and general location and extent of the uses of the land for housing, business, industry, open space, including agriculture, natural resources, recreation, and enjoyment of scenic beauty, education, public buildings and grounds, solid and liquid waste disposal facilities, greenways, as defined in Section 816.52 of the Civil Code, and other categories of public and private uses of land. The location and designation of the extent of the uses of the land for public and private uses shall consider the identification of land and natural resources pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (d). The land use element shall include a statement of the standards of population density and building intensity recommended for the various districts and other territory covered by the plan. The land use element shall identify and annually review those areas covered by the plan that are subject to flooding identified by flood plain mapping prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or the Department of Water Resources. The land use element shall also do both of the following:
(1) Designate in a land use category that provides for timber production those parcels of real property zoned for timberland production pursuant to the California Timberland Productivity Act of 1982 (Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 51100) of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 5). (2) Consider the impact of new growth on military readiness activities carried out on military bases, installations, and operating and training areas, when proposing zoning ordinances or designating land uses covered by the general plan for land, or other territory adjacent to military facilities, or underlying designated military aviation routes and airspace.
(A) In determining the impact of new growth on military readiness activities, information provided by military facilities shall be considered. Cities and counties shall address military impacts based on information from the military and other sources.
(B) The following definitions govern this paragraph:
(i) “Military readiness activities” mean all of the following:
(I) Training, support, and operations that prepare the members of the military for combat. (II) Operation, maintenance, and security of any military installation. (III) Testing of military equipment, vehicles, weapons, and sensors for proper operation or suitability for combat use.
(ii) “Military installation” means a base, camp, post, station, yard, center, homeport facility for any ship, or other activity under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Defense as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (g) of Section 2687 of Title 10 of the United States Code. (b) (1) A circulation element consisting of the general location and extent of existing and proposed major thoroughfares, transportation routes, terminals, any military airports and ports, and other local public utilities and facilities, all correlated with the land use element of the plan. (2) (A) Commencing January 1, 2011, upon any substantive revision of the circulation element, the legislative body shall modify the circulation element to plan for a balanced, multimodal transportation network that meets the needs of all users of streets, roads, and highways for safe and convenient travel in a manner that is suitable to the rural, suburban, or urban context of the general plan. (B) For purposes of this paragraph, “users of streets, roads, and highways” mean bicyclists, children, persons with disabilities, motorists, movers of commercial goods, pedestrians, users of public transportation, and seniors.
(c) A housing element as provided in Article 10.6 (commencing with Section 65580). (d) (1) A conservation element for the conservation, development, and utilization of natural resources, including water and its hydraulic force, forests, soils, rivers and other waters, harbors, fisheries, wildlife, minerals, and other natural resources. The conservation element shall consider the effect of development within the jurisdiction, as described in the land use element, on natural resources located on public lands, including military installations. That portion of the conservation element including waters shall be developed in coordination with any countywide water agency and with all district and city agencies, including flood management, water conservation, or groundwater agencies that have developed, served, controlled, managed, or conserved water of 2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 10 of 27
any type for any purpose in the county or city for which the plan is prepared. Coordination shall include the discussion and evaluation of any water supply and demand information described in Section 65352.5, if that information has been submitted by the water agency to the city or county. (2) The conservation element may also cover all of the following:
(A) The reclamation of land and waters.
(B) Prevention and control of the pollution of streams and other waters. (C) Regulation of the use of land in stream channels and other areas required for the accomplishment of the conservation plan.
(D) Prevention, control, and correction of the erosion of soils, beaches, and shores. (E) Protection of watersheds.
(F) The location, quantity, and quality of the rock, sand, and gravel resources. (3) Upon the next revision of the housing element on or after January 1, 2009, the conservation element shall identify rivers, creeks, streams, flood corridors, riparian habitats, and land that may accommodate floodwater for purposes of groundwater recharge and stormwater management. (e) An open-space element as provided in Article 10.5 (commencing with Section 65560). (f) (1) A noise element that shall identify and appraise noise problems in the community. The noise element shall analyze and quantify, to the extent practicable, as determined by the legislative body, current and projected noise levels for all of the following sources:
(A) Highways and freeways.
(B) Primary arterials and major local streets.
(C) Passenger and freight online railroad operations and ground rapid transit systems. (D) Commercial, general aviation, heliport, helistop, and military airport operations, aircraft overflights, jet engine test stands, and all other ground facilities and maintenance functions related to airport operation. (E) Local industrial plants, including, but not limited to, railroad classification yards. (F) Other ground stationary noise sources, including, but not limited to, military installations, identified by local agencies as contributing to the community noise environment. (2) Noise contours shall be shown for all of these sources and stated in terms of community noise equivalent level (CNEL) or day-night average sound level (Ldn). The noise contours shall be prepared on the basis of noise monitoring or following generally accepted noise modeling techniques for the various sources identified in paragraphs (1) to (6), inclusive.
(3) The noise contours shall be used as a guide for establishing a pattern of land uses in the land use element that minimizes the exposure of community residents to excessive noise. (4) The noise element shall include implementation measures and possible solutions that address existing and foreseeable noise problems, if any. The adopted noise element shall serve as a guideline for compliance with the state’s noise insulation standards.
(g) (1) A safety element for the protection of the community from any unreasonable risks associated with the effects of seismically induced surface rupture, ground shaking, ground failure, tsunami, seiche, and dam failure; slope instability leading to mudslides and landslides; subsidence; liquefaction; and other seismic hazards identified pursuant to Chapter 7.8 (commencing with Section 2690) of Division 2 of the Public Resources Code, and other geologic hazards known to the legislative body; flooding; and wildland and urban fires. The safety element shall include mapping of known seismic and other geologic hazards. It shall also address evacuation routes, military installations, peakload water supply requirements, and minimum road widths and clearances around structures, as those items relate to identified fire and geologic hazards. (2) The safety element, upon the next revision of the housing element on or after January 1, 2009, shall also do the following:
2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 11 of 27
(A) Identify information regarding flood hazards, including, but not limited to, the following:
(i) Flood hazard zones. As used in this subdivision, “flood hazard zone” means an area subject to flooding that is delineated as either a special hazard area or an area of moderate or minimal hazard on an official flood insurance rate map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The identification of a flood hazard zone does not imply that areas outside the flood hazard zones or uses permitted within flood hazard zones will be free from flooding or flood damage. (ii) National Flood Insurance Program maps published by FEMA. (iii) Information about flood hazards that is available from the United States Army Corps of Engineers. (iv) Designated floodway maps that are available from the Central Valley Flood Protection Board. (v) Dam failure inundation maps prepared pursuant to Section 6161 of the Water Code that are available from the Department of Water Resources.
(vi) Awareness Floodplain Mapping Program maps and 200-year flood plain maps that are or may be available from, or accepted by, the Department of Water Resources. (vii) Maps of levee protection zones.
(viii) Areas subject to inundation in the event of the failure of project or nonproject levees or floodwalls. (ix) Historical data on flooding, including locally prepared maps of areas that are subject to flooding, areas that are vulnerable to flooding after wildfires, and sites that have been repeatedly damaged by flooding.
(x) Existing and planned development in flood hazard zones, including structures, roads, utilities, and essential public facilities.
(xi) Local, state, and federal agencies with responsibility for flood protection, including special districts and local offices of emergency services.
(B) Establish a set of comprehensive goals, policies, and objectives based on the information identified pursuant to subparagraph (A), for the protection of the community from the unreasonable risks of flooding, including, but not limited to:
(i) Avoiding or minimizing the risks of flooding to new development. (ii) Evaluating whether new development should be located in flood hazard zones, and identifying construction methods or other methods to minimize damage if new development is located in flood hazard zones.
(iii) Maintaining the structural and operational integrity of essential public facilities during flooding. (iv) Locating, when feasible, new essential public facilities outside of flood hazard zones, including hospitals and health care facilities, emergency shelters, fire stations, emergency command centers, and emergency communications facilities or identifying construction methods or other methods to minimize damage if these facilities are located in flood hazard zones. (v) Establishing cooperative working relationships among public agencies with responsibility for flood protection.
(C) Establish a set of feasible implementation measures designed to carry out the goals, policies, and objectives established pursuant to subparagraph (B).
(3) Upon the next revision of the housing element on or after January 1, 2014, the safety element shall be reviewed and updated as necessary to address the risk of fire for land classified as state responsibility areas, as defined in Section 4102 of the Public Resources Code, and land classified as very high fire hazard severity zones, as defined in Section 51177. This review shall consider the advice included in the Office of Planning and Research’s most recent publication of “Fire Hazard Planning, General Plan Technical Advice Series” and shall also include all of the following:
(A) Information regarding fire hazards, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 12 of 27
(i) Fire hazard severity zone maps available from the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (ii) Any historical data on wildfires available from local agencies or a reference to where the data can be found.
(iii) Information about wildfire hazard areas that may be available from the United States Geological Survey.
(iv) General location and distribution of existing and planned uses of land in very high fire hazard severity zones and in state responsibility areas, including structures, roads, utilities, and essential public facilities. The location and distribution of planned uses of land shall not require defensible space compliance measures required by state law or local ordinance to occur on publicly owned lands or open space designations of homeowner associations.
(v) Local, state, and federal agencies with responsibility for fire protection, including special districts and local offices of emergency services.
(B) A set of goals, policies, and objectives based on the information identified pursuant to subparagraph (A) for the protection of the community from the unreasonable risk of wildfire. (C) A set of feasible implementation measures designed to carry out the goals, policies, and objectives based on the information identified pursuant to subparagraph (B) including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(i) Avoiding or minimizing the wildfire hazards associated with new uses of land. (ii) Locating, when feasible, new essential public facilities outside of high fire risk areas, including, but not limited to, hospitals and health care facilities, emergency shelters, emergency command centers, and emergency communications facilities, or identifying construction methods or other methods to minimize damage if these facilities are located in a state responsibility area or very high fire hazard severity zone. (iii) Designing adequate infrastructure if a new development is located in a state responsibility area or in a very high fire hazard severity zone, including safe access for emergency response vehicles, visible street signs, and water supplies for structural fire suppression. (iv) Working cooperatively with public agencies with responsibility for fire protection. (D) If a city or county has adopted a fire safety plan or document separate from the general plan, an attachment of, or reference to, a city or county’s adopted fire safety plan or document that fulfills commensurate goals and objectives and contains information required pursuant to this paragraph. (4) Upon the next revision of a local hazard mitigation plan, adopted in accordance with the federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-390), on or after January 1, 2017, or, if a local jurisdiction has not adopted a local hazard mitigation plan, beginning on or before January 1, 2022, the safety element shall be reviewed and updated as necessary to address climate adaptation and resiliency strategies applicable to the city or county. This review shall consider advice provided in the Office of Planning and Research’s General Plan Guidelines and shall include all of the following:
(A) (i) A vulnerability assessment that identifies the risks that climate change poses to the local jurisdiction and the geographic areas at risk from climate change impacts, including, but not limited to, an assessment of how climate change may affect the risks addressed pursuant to paragraphs (2) and (3). (ii) Information that may be available from federal, state, regional, and local agencies that will assist in developing the vulnerability assessment and the adaptation policies and strategies required pursuant to subparagraph (B), including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(I) Information from the internet-based Cal-Adapt tool. (II) Information from the most recent version of the California Adaptation Planning Guide. (III) Information from local agencies on the types of assets, resources, and populations that will be sensitive to various climate change exposures.
(IV) Information from local agencies on their current ability to deal with the impacts of climate change.
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(V) Historical data on natural events and hazards, including locally prepared maps of areas subject to previous risk, areas that are vulnerable, and sites that have been repeatedly damaged. (VI) Existing and planned development in identified at-risk areas, including structures, roads, utilities, and essential public facilities.
(VII) Federal, state, regional, and local agencies with responsibility for the protection of public health and safety and the environment, including special districts and local offices of emergency services. (B) A set of adaptation and resilience goals, policies, and objectives based on the information specified in subparagraph (A) for the protection of the community.
(C) A set of feasible implementation measures designed to carry out the goals, policies, and objectives identified pursuant to subparagraph (B) including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(i) Feasible methods to avoid or minimize climate change impacts associated with new uses of land. (ii) The location, when feasible, of new essential public facilities outside of at-risk areas, including, but not limited to, hospitals and health care facilities, emergency shelters, emergency command centers, and emergency communications facilities, or identifying construction methods or other methods to minimize damage if these facilities are located in at-risk areas. (iii) The designation of adequate and feasible infrastructure located in an at-risk area. (iv) Guidelines for working cooperatively with relevant local, regional, state, and federal agencies. (v) The identification of natural infrastructure that may be used in adaptation projects, where feasible.
Where feasible, the plan shall use existing natural features and ecosystem processes, or the restoration of natural features and ecosystem processes, when developing alternatives for consideration. For the purposes of this clause, “natural infrastructure” means the preservation or restoration of ecological systems, or utilization of engineered systems that use ecological processes, to increase resiliency to climate change, manage other environmental hazards, or both. This may include, but is not limited to, flood plain and wetlands restoration or preservation, combining levees with restored natural systems to reduce flood risk, and urban tree planting to mitigate high heat days. (D) (i) If a city or county has adopted the local hazard mitigation plan, or other climate adaptation plan or document that fulfills commensurate goals and objectives and contains the information required pursuant to this paragraph, separate from the general plan, an attachment of, or reference to, the local hazard mitigation plan or other climate adaptation plan or document. (ii) Cities or counties that have an adopted hazard mitigation plan, or other climate adaptation plan or document that substantially complies with this section, or have substantially equivalent provisions to this subdivision in their general plans, may use that information in the safety element to comply with this subdivision, and shall summarize and incorporate by reference into the safety element the other general plan provisions, climate adaptation plan or document, specifically showing how each requirement of this subdivision has been met.
(5) Upon the next revision of the housing element on or after January 1, 2020, the safety element shall be reviewed and updated as necessary to identify residential developments in any hazard area identified in the safety element that do not have at least two emergency evacuation routes. (6) After the initial revision of the safety element pursuant to paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5), the planning agency shall review and, if necessary, revise the safety element upon each revision of the housing element or local hazard mitigation plan, but not less than once every eight years, to identify new information relating to flood and fire hazards and climate adaptation and resiliency strategies applicable to the city or county that was not available during the previous revision of the safety element. (7) Cities and counties that have flood plain management ordinances that have been approved by FEMA that substantially comply with this section, or have substantially equivalent provisions to this subdivision in their general plans, may use that information in the safety element to comply with this subdivision, and shall summarize and incorporate by reference into the safety element the other general plan provisions or the flood plain ordinance, specifically showing how each requirement of this subdivision has been met. 2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 14 of 27
(8) Before the periodic review of its general plan and before preparing or revising its safety element, each city and county shall consult the California Geological Survey of the Department of Conservation, the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, if the city or county is located within the boundaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Drainage District, as set forth in Section 8501 of the Water Code, and the Office of Emergency Services for the purpose of including information known by and available to the department, the agency, and the board required by this subdivision.
(9) To the extent that a county’s safety element is sufficiently detailed and contains appropriate policies and programs for adoption by a city, a city may adopt that portion of the county’s safety element that pertains to the city’s planning area in satisfaction of the requirement imposed by this subdivision. (h) (1) An environmental justice element, or related goals, policies, and objectives integrated in other elements, that identifies disadvantaged communities within the area covered by the general plan of the city, county, or city and county, if the city, county, or city and county has a disadvantaged community. The environmental justice element, or related environmental justice goals, policies, and objectives integrated in other elements, shall do all of the following:
(A) Identify objectives and policies to reduce the unique or compounded health risks in disadvantaged communities by means that include, but are not limited to, the reduction of pollution exposure, including the improvement of air quality, and the promotion of public facilities, food access, safe and sanitary homes, and physical activity.
(B) Identify objectives and policies to promote civic engagement in the public decisionmaking process. (C) Identify objectives and policies that prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of disadvantaged communities.
(2) A city, county, or city and county subject to this subdivision shall adopt or review the environmental justice element, or the environmental justice goals, policies, and objectives in other elements, upon the adoption or next revision of two or more elements concurrently on or after January 1, 2018. (3) By adding this subdivision, the Legislature does not intend to require a city, county, or city and county to take any action prohibited by the United States Constitution or the California Constitution. (4) For purposes of this subdivision, the following terms shall apply:
(A) “Disadvantaged communities” means an area identified by the California Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code or an area that is a low-income area that is disproportionately affected by environmental pollution and other hazards that can lead to negative health effects, exposure, or environmental degradation.
(B) “Public facilities” includes public improvements, public services, and community amenities, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 66000.
(C) “Low-income area” means an area with household incomes at or below 80 percent of the statewide median income or with household incomes at or below the threshold designated as low income by the Department of Housing and Community Development’s list of state income limits adopted pursuant to Section 50093 of the Health and Safety Code.
SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code.
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TITLE 7. PLANNING AND LAND USE [65000 - 66499.58] ( Heading of Title 7 amended by Stats. 1974, Ch. 1536. ) DIVISION 1. PLANNING AND ZONING [65000 - 66345.4] ( Heading of Division 1 added by Stats. 1974, Ch. 1536. ) CHAPTER 3. Local Planning [65100 - 65763] ( Chapter 3 repealed and added by Stats. 1965, Ch. 1880. ) 65302.
GOVERNMENT CODE - GOV
ARTICLE 5. Authority for and Scope of General Plans [65300 - 65303.4] ( Article 5 added by Stats. 1965, Ch. 1880. ) The general plan shall consist of a statement of development policies and shall include a diagram or diagrams and text setting forth objectives, principles, standards, and plan proposals. The plan shall include the following elements:
(a) A land use element that designates the proposed general distribution and general location and extent of the uses of the land for housing, business, industry, open space, including agriculture, natural resources, recreation, and enjoyment of scenic beauty, education, public buildings and grounds, solid and liquid waste disposal facilities, greenways, as defined in Section 816.52 of the Civil Code, and other categories of public and private uses of land. The location and designation of the extent of the uses of the land for public and private uses shall consider the identification of land and natural resources pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (d). The land use element shall include a statement of the standards of population density and building intensity recommended for the various districts and other territory covered by the plan. The land use element shall identify and annually review those areas covered by the plan that are subject to flooding identified by flood plain mapping prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or the Department of Water Resources. The land use element shall also do both of the following:
(1) Designate in a land use category that provides for timber production those parcels of real property zoned for timberland production pursuant to the California Timberland Productivity Act of 1982 (Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 51100) of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 5).
(2) Consider the impact of new growth on military readiness activities carried out on military bases, installations, and operating and training areas, when proposing zoning ordinances or designating land uses covered by the general plan for land, or other territory adjacent to military facilities, or underlying designated military aviation routes and airspace. (A) In determining the impact of new growth on military readiness activities, information provided by military facilities shall be considered.
Cities and counties shall address military impacts based on information from the military and other sources. (B) The following definitions govern this paragraph:
(i) “Military readiness activities” mean all of the following:
(I) Training, support, and operations that prepare the members of the military for combat. (II) Operation, maintenance, and security of any military installation. (III) Testing of military equipment, vehicles, weapons, and sensors for proper operation or suitability for combat use. (ii) “Military installation” means a base, camp, post, station, yard, center, homeport facility for any ship, or other activity under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Defense as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (g) of Section 2687 of Title 10 of the United States Code.
(b) (1) A circulation element consisting of the general location and extent of existing and proposed major thoroughfares, transportation routes, terminals, any military airports and ports, and other local public utilities and facilities, all correlated with the land use element of the plan. (2) (A) Commencing January 1, 2011, upon any substantive revision of the circulation element, the legislative body shall modify the circulation element to plan for a balanced, multimodal transportation network that meets the needs of all users of streets, roads, and highways for safe and convenient travel in a manner that is suitable to the rural, suburban, or urban context of the general plan. (B) Upon any substantive revision of the circulation element on or after January 1, 2025, the legislative body shall do all of the following:
(i) Incorporate the principles of the Federal Highway Administration’s Safe System Approach, in the circulation element by including policies that aim to eliminate fatal and serious injuries for all road users through a holistic view of the roadway system, including provisions that account for human error, recognize vulnerable road users, and promote redundant and proactive safety measures. (ii) Develop bicycle plans, pedestrian plans, and traffic calming plans based on the policies and goals in the circulation element that shall address all of the following for any urbanized area within the scope of the general plan:
(I) Identify safety corridors and any land or facility that generates high concentrations of bicyclists or pedestrians. (II) Use evidence-based strategies, including strategies identified in the United States Department of Transportation’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan to develop safety measures specific to those areas that are intended to eliminate traffic fatalities, with an emphasis on fatalities of bicyclists, pedestrians, and users of any other form of micromobility device in the areas identified in subclause (I).
(III) Set goals for initiation and completion of all actions identified in the plans within 25 years of the date of adoption of the modified circulation element based upon projected development activities within urbanized areas within the scope of the general plan 2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 16 of 27
and projected availability of revenues.
(C) (i) A county or city shall begin implementation of the modified circulation element plan specified in subparagraph (B) within two years of the date of adoption of the plan.
(ii) A county or city shall regularly review the progress towards and identify impediments to completing implementation of the plan for a multimodal transportation network, including all bicycle plans, pedestrian plans, and traffic calming plans iterated in the modified circulation element, and the construction of any related infrastructure. (iii) A county or city shall consider revising the circulation element if, following the review under clause (ii), the county or city determines it will not reach the goals of the bicycle, pedestrian, or traffic calming plans within 25 years of the date of adoption of the modified circulation element.
(D) For the purposes of this paragraph, the following definitions shall apply:
(i) “Business activity district” has the same meaning as defined in Section 22358.9 of the Vehicle Code. (ii) “Land facilities that generate high concentrations of bicyclists or pedestrians” has the same meaning as described in Section 22358.7 of the Vehicle Code.
(iii) “Micromobility device” means a bicycle, electric bicycle, or motorized scooter as those terms are defined and described in Division 1 (commencing with Section 100) of the Vehicle Code.
(iv) “Safety corridor” has the same meaning as defined in Section 22358.7 of the Vehicle Code. (v) “Urbanized area” has the same meaning as defined in Section 21071 of the Public Resources Code. (E) For purposes of this paragraph, “users of streets, roads, and highways” mean bicyclists, children, persons with disabilities, motorists, movers of commercial goods, pedestrians, users of public transportation, and seniors. (c) A housing element as provided in Article 10.6 (commencing with Section 65580). (d) (1) A conservation element for the conservation, development, and utilization of natural resources, including water and its hydraulic force, forests, soils, rivers and other waters, harbors, fisheries, wildlife, minerals, and other natural resources. The conservation element shall consider the effect of development within the jurisdiction, as described in the land use element, on natural resources located on public lands, including military installations. The conservation element shall consider the effect of development within the jurisdiction, as described in the land use element, on the movement of wildlife and habitat connectivity. That portion of the conservation element including waters shall be developed in coordination with any countywide water agency and with all district and city agencies, including flood management, water conservation, or groundwater agencies that have developed, served, controlled, managed, or conserved water of any type for any purpose in the county or city for which the plan is prepared. Coordination shall include the discussion and evaluation of any water supply and demand information described in Section 65352.5, if that information has been submitted by the water agency to the city or county. (2) The conservation element may also cover all of the following:
(A) The reclamation of land and waters.
(B) Prevention and control of the pollution of streams and other waters. (C) Regulation of the use of land in stream channels and other areas required for the accomplishment of the conservation plan. (D) Prevention, control, and correction of the erosion of soils, beaches, and shores. (E) Protection of watersheds.
(F) The location, quantity, and quality of the rock, sand, and gravel resources. (3) Upon the next revision of the housing element on or after January 1, 2009, the conservation element shall identify rivers, creeks, streams, flood corridors, riparian habitats, and land that may accommodate floodwater for purposes of groundwater recharge and stormwater management.
(4) Upon the adoption or next revision of one or more elements on or after January 1, 2028, the conservation element shall be updated to:
(A) Identify and analyze connectivity areas, permeability, and natural landscape areas within the jurisdiction, as those terms are defined in Section 158 of the Streets and Highways Code.
(B) Identify and analyze existing or planned wildlife passage features, as defined in Section 158 of the Streets and Highways Code, including, but not limited to, wildlife passage features included in the inventory of connectivity needs on the state highway system, as described in Section 158.1 of the Streets and Highways Code, to ensure that planned development does not undermine the effectiveness of existing and potential wildlife passage features, as defined in Section 158 of the Streets and Highways Code. (C) (i) Consider the impacts of development and the barriers caused by development to wildlife and habitat connectivity. (ii) For the purposes of this subparagraph, “wildlife” has the same meaning as defined in Section 89.5 of the Fish and Game Code. 2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 17 of 27
(D) Avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts and barriers to wildlife movement to the extent feasible. (E) Analyze and consider opportunities to remediate existing barriers to wildlife connectivity and restore degraded habitat and open space. (5) If a city, county, or city and county has already included policies in existing plans, including its certified local coastal plan, that meet the requirements of paragraph (4), the city, county, or city and county may incorporate the plan by reference into the general plan to comply with this section.
(6) In preparing to update the conservation element, the city, county, or city and county may do any of the following:
(A) Consider incorporating appropriate standards, policies, and feasible implementation programs such as wildlife-friendly fencing and lighting, buffers from sensitive resources, prohibitions on invasive plants, habitat connectivity overlay zones, and compact development standards, or consider whether adoption of ordinances is necessary to feasibly implement these standards, policies, and implementation programs, and include goals to adopt any necessary ordinances. (B) Consult with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, any California Native American tribe that is on the contact list maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission and that has traditional lands located within the city, county, or city and county’s jurisdiction, and any open-space district that owns lands designated for conservation within the city, county, or city and county’s jurisdiction. Upon receiving a request for consultation, the department, tribe, or district may, in its sole discretion, accept or refuse to consult, based on the priority of natural resources impacted or other factors.
(C) Consider relevant best available science as appropriate, including, but not limited to, peer-reviewed literature, citable publicly available datasets, publicly sourced online datasets, and information and reports from government agencies, California Native American tribes, and academic institutions.
(D) Consider the most appropriately scaled scientific information on linkages, corridors, and other locations that are essential to maintain landscape connectivity, including, but not limited to, any of the following:
(i) Habitat linkages and wildlife corridors, such as those identified and summarized in the Areas of Conservation Emphasis, as defined by subdivision (a) of Section 1851 of the Fish and Game Code, and in regional habitat connectivity assessments. (ii) Wildlife corridors, such as migration corridors identified by global positioning system collar studies. (iii) Wildlife movement barriers, such as connectivity areas, as defined by subdivision (a) of Section 158 of the Street and Highways Code, and barriers identified by the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Restoring California’s Wildlife Connectivity report. (iv) Other connectivity considerations, such as those outlined in the State Wildlife Action Plan, habitat conservation plans approved pursuant to Section 1539 of Title 16 of the United States Code, natural community conservation plans approved pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 2800) of Division 3 of the Fish and Game Code, regional conservation investment strategies approved pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 1850) of Division 2 of the Fish and Game Code, and other relevant plans, policies, and ordinances adopted by neighboring jurisdictions.
(7) In preparing to update the conservation element, the city, county, or city and county may consult with other appropriate local, state, or federal agencies, or academic institutions, as deemed appropriate by the city or county. (8) The city, county, or city and county may meet the requirements in paragraphs (4) through (6), inclusive, in a separate component or section of the general plan entitled a wildlife connectivity element. (e) An open-space element as provided in Article 10.5 (commencing with Section 65560). (f) (1) A noise element that shall identify and appraise noise problems in the community. The noise element shall analyze and quantify, to the extent practicable, as determined by the legislative body, current and projected noise levels for all of the following sources:
(A) Highways and freeways.
(B) Primary arterials and major local streets.
(C) Passenger and freight online railroad operations and ground rapid transit systems. (D) Commercial, general aviation, heliport, helistop, and military airport operations, aircraft overflights, jet engine test stands, and all other ground facilities and maintenance functions related to airport operation. (E) Local industrial plants, including, but not limited to, railroad classification yards. (F) Other ground stationary noise sources, including, but not limited to, military installations, identified by local agencies as contributing to the community noise environment.
(2) Noise contours shall be shown for all of these sources and stated in terms of community noise equivalent level (CNEL) or day-night average sound level (Ldn). The noise contours shall be prepared on the basis of noise monitoring or following generally accepted noise modeling techniques for the various sources identified in subparagraphs (A) to (F) of paragraph (1), inclusive. 2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 18 of 27
(3) The noise contours shall be used as a guide for establishing a pattern of land uses in the land use element that minimizes the exposure of community residents to excessive noise.
(4) The noise element shall include implementation measures and possible solutions that address existing and foreseeable noise problems, if any. The adopted noise element shall serve as a guideline for compliance with the state’s noise insulation standards. (g) (1) A safety element for the protection of the community from any unreasonable risks associated with the effects of seismically induced surface rupture, ground shaking, ground failure, tsunami, seiche, and dam failure; slope instability leading to mudslides and landslides; subsidence; liquefaction; and other seismic hazards identified pursuant to Chapter 7.8 (commencing with Section 2690) of Division 2 of the Public Resources Code, and other geologic hazards known to the legislative body; flooding; and wildland and urban fires. The safety element shall include mapping of known seismic and other geologic hazards. It shall also address evacuation routes, military installations, peakload water supply requirements, and minimum road widths and clearances around structures, as those items relate to identified fire and geologic hazards.
(2) The safety element, upon the next revision of the housing element on or after January 1, 2009, shall also do the following:
(A) Identify information regarding flood hazards, including, but not limited to, the following:
(i) Flood hazard zones. As used in this subdivision, “flood hazard zone” means an area subject to flooding that is delineated as either a special hazard area or an area of moderate or minimal hazard on an official flood insurance rate map issued by FEMA. The identification of a flood hazard zone does not imply that areas outside the flood hazard zones or uses permitted within flood hazard zones will be free from flooding or flood damage.
(ii) National Flood Insurance Program maps published by FEMA. (iii) Information about flood hazards that is available from the United States Army Corps of Engineers. (iv) Designated floodway maps that are available from the Central Valley Flood Protection Board. (v) Dam failure inundation maps prepared pursuant to Section 6161 of the Water Code that are available from the Department of Water Resources.
(vi) Awareness Floodplain Mapping Program maps and 200-year flood plain maps that are or may be available from, or accepted by, the Department of Water Resources.
(vii) Maps of levee protection zones.
(viii) Areas subject to inundation in the event of the failure of project or nonproject levees or floodwalls. (ix) Historical data on flooding, including locally prepared maps of areas that are subject to flooding, areas that are vulnerable to flooding after wildfires, and sites that have been repeatedly damaged by flooding. (x) Existing and planned development in flood hazard zones, including structures, roads, utilities, and essential public facilities. (xi) Local, state, and federal agencies with responsibility for flood protection, including special districts and local offices of emergency services.
(B) Establish a set of comprehensive goals, policies, and objectives based on the information identified pursuant to subparagraph (A), for the protection of the community from the unreasonable risks of flooding, including, but not limited to:
(i) Avoiding or minimizing the risks of flooding to new development. (ii) Evaluating whether new development should be located in flood hazard zones, and identifying construction methods or other methods to minimize damage if new development is located in flood hazard zones. (iii) Maintaining the structural and operational integrity of essential public facilities during flooding. (iv) Locating, when feasible, new essential public facilities outside of flood hazard zones, including hospitals and health care facilities, emergency shelters, fire stations, emergency command centers, and emergency communications facilities or identifying construction methods or other methods to minimize damage if these facilities are located in flood hazard zones. (v) Establishing cooperative working relationships among public agencies with responsibility for flood protection. (C) Establish a set of feasible implementation measures designed to carry out the goals, policies, and objectives established pursuant to subparagraph (B).
(3) Upon the next revision of the housing element on or after January 1, 2014, the safety element shall be reviewed and updated as necessary to address the risk of fire for land classified as state responsibility areas, as defined in Section 4102 of the Public Resources Code, and land classified as very high fire hazard severity zones, as defined in Section 51177. This review shall consider the advice included in the Office of Planning and Research’s most recent publication of “Fire Hazard Planning, General Plan Technical Advice Series” and shall also include all of the following:
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(A) Information regarding fire hazards, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(i) Fire hazard severity zone maps available from the Office of the State Fire Marshal. (ii) Any historical data on wildfires available from local agencies or a reference to where the data can be found. (iii) Information about wildfire hazard areas that may be available from the United States Geological Survey. (iv) General location and distribution of existing and planned uses of land in very high fire hazard severity zones and in state responsibility areas, including structures, roads, utilities, and essential public facilities. The location and distribution of planned uses of land shall not require defensible space compliance measures required by state law or local ordinance to occur on publicly owned lands or open-space designations of homeowner associations.
(v) Local, state, and federal agencies with responsibility for fire protection, including special districts and local offices of emergency services.
(B) A set of goals, policies, and objectives based on the information identified pursuant to subparagraph (A) for the protection of the community from the unreasonable risk of wildfire.
(C) A set of feasible implementation measures designed to carry out the goals, policies, and objectives based on the information identified pursuant to subparagraph (B), including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(i) Avoiding or minimizing the wildfire hazards associated with new uses of land. (ii) Locating, when feasible, new essential public facilities outside of high fire risk areas, including, but not limited to, hospitals and health care facilities, emergency shelters, emergency command centers, and emergency communications facilities, or identifying construction methods or other methods to minimize damage if these facilities are located in a state responsibility area or very high fire hazard severity zone.
(iii) Designing adequate infrastructure if a new development is located in a state responsibility area or in a very high fire hazard severity zone, including safe access for emergency response vehicles, visible street signs, and water supplies for structural fire suppression. (iv) Working cooperatively with public agencies with responsibility for fire protection. (D) If a city or county has adopted a fire safety plan or document separate from the general plan, an attachment of, or reference to, a city or county’s adopted fire safety plan or document that fulfills commensurate goals and objectives and contains information required pursuant to this paragraph.
(4) Upon the next revision of a local hazard mitigation plan, adopted in accordance with the federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-390), on or after January 1, 2017, or, if a local jurisdiction has not adopted a local hazard mitigation plan, beginning on or before January 1, 2022, the safety element shall be reviewed and updated as necessary to address climate adaptation and resiliency strategies applicable to the city or county. This review shall consider advice provided in the Office of Planning and Research’s General Plan Guidelines and shall include all of the following:
(A) (i) A vulnerability assessment that identifies the risks that climate change poses to the local jurisdiction and the geographic areas at risk from climate change impacts, including, but not limited to, an assessment of how climate change may affect the risks addressed pursuant to paragraphs (2) and (3).
(ii) Information that may be available from federal, state, regional, and local agencies that will assist in developing the vulnerability assessment and the adaptation policies and strategies required pursuant to subparagraph (B), including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(I) Information from the internet-based Cal-Adapt tool. (II) Information from the most recent version of the California Adaptation Planning Guide. (III) Information from local agencies on the types of assets, resources, and populations that will be sensitive to various climate change exposures.
(IV) Information from local agencies on their current ability to deal with the impacts of climate change. (V) Historical data on natural events and hazards, including locally prepared maps of areas subject to previous risk, areas that are vulnerable, and sites that have been repeatedly damaged. (VI) Existing and planned development in identified at-risk areas, including structures, roads, utilities, and essential public facilities. (VII) Federal, state, regional, and local agencies with responsibility for the protection of public health and safety and the environment, including special districts and local offices of emergency services. (B) A set of adaptation and resilience goals, policies, and objectives based on the information specified in subparagraph (A) for the protection of the community.
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(C) A set of feasible implementation measures designed to carry out the goals, policies, and objectives identified pursuant to subparagraph (B), including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(i) Feasible methods to avoid or minimize climate change impacts associated with new uses of land. (ii) The location, when feasible, of new essential public facilities outside of at-risk areas, including, but not limited to, hospitals and health care facilities, emergency shelters, emergency command centers, and emergency communications facilities, or identifying construction methods or other methods to minimize damage if these facilities are located in at-risk areas. (iii) The designation of adequate and feasible infrastructure located in an at-risk area. (iv) Guidelines for working cooperatively with relevant local, regional, state, and federal agencies. (v) The identification of natural infrastructure that may be used in adaptation projects, where feasible. Where feasible, the plan shall use existing natural features and ecosystem processes, or the restoration of natural features and ecosystem processes, when developing alternatives for consideration. For purposes of this clause, “natural infrastructure” means using natural ecological systems or processes to reduce vulnerability to climate change related hazards, or other related climate change effects, while increasing the longterm adaptive capacity of coastal and inland areas by perpetuating or restoring ecosystem services. This includes, but is not limited to, the conservation, preservation, or sustainable management of any form of aquatic or terrestrial vegetated open space, such as beaches, dunes, tidal marshes, reefs, seagrass, parks, rain gardens, and urban tree canopies. It also includes systems and practices that use or mimic natural processes, such as permeable pavements, bioswales, and other engineered systems, such as levees that are combined with restored natural systems, to provide clean water, conserve ecosystem values and functions, and provide a wide array of benefits to people and wildlife.
(D) (i) If a city or county has adopted the local hazard mitigation plan, or other climate adaptation plan or document that fulfills commensurate goals and objectives and contains the information required pursuant to this paragraph, separate from the general plan, an attachment of, or reference to, the local hazard mitigation plan or other climate adaptation plan or document. (ii) Cities or counties that have an adopted hazard mitigation plan, or other climate adaptation plan or document that substantially complies with this section, or have substantially equivalent provisions to this subdivision in their general plans, may use that information in the safety element to comply with this subdivision, and shall summarize and incorporate by reference into the safety element the other general plan provisions, climate adaptation plan or document, specifically showing how each requirement of this subdivision has been met.
(5) Upon the next revision of the housing element on or after January 1, 2020, the safety element shall be reviewed and updated as necessary to identify residential developments in any hazard area identified in the safety element that do not have at least two emergency evacuation routes.
(6) After the initial revision of the safety element pursuant to paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5), the planning agency shall review and, if necessary, revise the safety element upon each revision of the housing element or local hazard mitigation plan, but not less than once every eight years, to identify new information relating to flood and fire hazards and climate adaptation and resiliency strategies applicable to the city or county that was not available during the previous revision of the safety element. (7) Cities and counties that have flood plain management ordinances that have been approved by FEMA that substantially comply with this section, or have substantially equivalent provisions to this subdivision in their general plans, may use that information in the safety element to comply with this subdivision, and shall summarize and incorporate by reference into the safety element the other general plan provisions or the flood plain ordinance, specifically showing how each requirement of this subdivision has been met. (8) Before the periodic review of its general plan and before preparing or revising its safety element, each city and county shall consult the California Geological Survey of the Department of Conservation, the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, if the city or county is located within the boundaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Drainage District, as set forth in Section 8501 of the Water Code, and the Office of Emergency Services for the purpose of including information known by and available to the department, the agency, and the board required by this subdivision.
(9) To the extent that a county’s safety element is sufficiently detailed and contains appropriate policies and programs for adoption by a city, a city may adopt that portion of the county’s safety element that pertains to the city’s planning area in satisfaction of the requirement imposed by this subdivision.
(h) (1) An environmental justice element, or related goals, policies, and objectives integrated in other elements, that identifies disadvantaged communities within the area covered by the general plan of the city, county, or city and county, if the city, county, or city and county has a disadvantaged community. The environmental justice element, or related environmental justice goals, policies, and objectives integrated in other elements, shall do all of the following:
(A) Identify objectives and policies to reduce the unique or compounded health risks in disadvantaged communities by means that include, but are not limited to, the reduction of pollution exposure, including the improvement of air quality, and the promotion of public facilities, food access, safe and sanitary homes, and physical activity. (B) Identify objectives and policies to promote civic engagement in the public decisionmaking process. (C) Identify objectives and policies that prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of disadvantaged communities. 2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 21 of 27
(2) A city, county, or city and county subject to this subdivision shall adopt or review the environmental justice element, or the environmental justice goals, policies, and objectives in other elements, upon the adoption or next revision of two or more elements concurrently on or after January 1, 2018.
(3) By adding this subdivision, the Legislature does not intend to require a city, county, or city and county to take any action prohibited by the United States Constitution or the California Constitution. (4) For purposes of this subdivision, the following terms shall apply:
(A) “Disadvantaged communities” means an area identified by the California Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code or an area that is a low-income area that is disproportionately affected by environmental pollution and other hazards that can lead to negative health effects, exposure, or environmental degradation. (B) “Public facilities” includes public improvements, public services, and community amenities, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 66000.
(C) “Low-income area” means an area with household incomes at or below 80 percent of the statewide median income or with household incomes at or below the threshold designated as low income by the Department of Housing and Community Development’s list of state income limits adopted pursuant to Section 50093 of the Health and Safety Code. (Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 67, Sec. 102. (AB 1170) Effective January 1, 2026.) 2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 22 of 27
SHARE THIS: Date Published: 10/10/2019 09:00 PM
AB-747 Planning and zoning: general plan: safety element. (2019-2020)
Assembly Bill No. 747
CHAPTER 681
An act to add Section 65302.15 to the Government Code, relating to land use. [ Approved by Governor October 09, 2019. Filed with Secretary of State October 09, 2019. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 747, Levine. Planning and zoning: general plan: safety element.
The Planning and Zoning Law requires the legislative body of each county and city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the county or city and of any land outside its boundaries that bears relation to its planning. That law requires this general plan to include certain mandatory elements, including a safety element for the protection of the community from unreasonable risks associated with the effects of various geologic hazards, flooding, wildland and urban fires, and climate adaptation and resilience strategies. That law requires the safety element to address, among other things, evacuation routes related to identified fire and geologic hazards.
This bill, upon the next revision of a local hazard mitigation plan on or after January 1, 2022, or beginning on or before January 1, 2022, if a local jurisdiction has not adopted a local hazard mitigation plan, would require the safety element to be reviewed and updated as necessary to identify evacuation routes and their capacity, safety, and viability under a range of emergency scenarios. The bill would authorize a city or county that has adopted a local hazard mitigation plan, emergency operations plan, or other document that fulfills commensurate goals and objectives to use that information in the safety element to comply with this requirement by summarizing and incorporating by reference that other plan or document in the safety element.
By increasing the duties of local planning officials with respect to the update of general plans, this 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.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal Committee: yes Local Program: yes THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 65302.15 is added to the Government Code, to read:
Home Bill Information California Law Publications Other Resources My Subscriptions My Favorites 2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 23 of 27
65302.15. (a) Upon the next revision of a local hazard mitigation plan, adopted in accordance with the federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-390), on or after January 1, 2022, or, if a local jurisdiction has not adopted a local hazard mitigation plan, beginning on or before January 1, 2022, the safety element adopted pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 65302 shall be reviewed and updated as necessary to identify evacuation routes and their capacity, safety, and viability under a range of emergency scenarios. A county or city that has adopted a local hazard mitigation plan, emergency operations plan, or other document that fulfills commensurate goals and objectives may use that information in the safety element to comply with this section and, in that event, shall summarize and incorporate into the safety element that other plan or document. (b) After the initial revision of the safety element pursuant to subdivision (a), the planning agency shall review and, if necessary, revise the safety element upon each revision of the housing element or local hazard mitigation plan, but not less than once every eight years, to identify new information relating to flood and fire hazards and climate adaptation and resiliency strategies applicable to the city or county that was not available during the previous revision of the safety element.
SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code.
2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 24 of 27
SHARE THIS: Date Published: 10/05/2021 09:00 PM
AB-1409 Planning and zoning: general plan: safety element. (2021-2022)
Assembly Bill No. 1409
CHAPTER 481
An act to amend Section 65302.15 of the Government Code, relating to land use. [ Approved by Governor October 04, 2021. Filed with Secretary of State October 04, 2021. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1409, Levine. Planning and zoning: general plan: safety element.
The Planning and Zoning Law requires the legislative body of each county and city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the county or city and of any land outside its boundaries that bears a relation to its planning. Existing law requires the general plan to include a safety element that addresses, among other things, evacuation routes related to identified fire and geologic hazards. Existing law, upon the next revision of a local hazard mitigation plan on or after January 1, 2022, or beginning on or before January 1, 2022, if a local jurisdiction has not adopted a local hazard mitigation plan, requires the safety element to be reviewed and updated as necessary to identify evacuation routes and their capacity, safety, and viability under a range of emergency scenarios.
This bill would also require the safety element to be reviewed and updated to identify evacuation locations. By increasing the duties of local planning officials with respect to the update of general plans, this 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.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal Committee: yes Local Program: yes THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 65302.15 of the Government Code is amended to read:
65302.15. (a) Upon the next revision of a local hazard mitigation plan, adopted in accordance with the federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-390), on or after January 1, 2022, or, if a local jurisdiction has not adopted a local hazard mitigation plan, beginning on or before January 1, 2022, the safety element adopted pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 65302 shall be reviewed and updated as necessary to identify evacuation routes and their capacity, safety, and viability and evacuation locations under a range of emergency scenarios. A Home Bill Information California Law Publications Other Resources My Subscriptions My Favorites 2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 25 of 27
county or city that has adopted a local hazard mitigation plan, emergency operations plan, or other document that fulfills commensurate goals and objectives may use that information in the safety element to comply with this section and, in that event, shall summarize and incorporate into the safety element that other plan or document.
(b) After the initial revision of the safety element pursuant to subdivision (a), the planning agency shall review and, if necessary, revise the safety element upon each revision of the housing element or local hazard mitigation plan, but not less than once every eight years, to identify new information relating to flood and fire hazards and climate adaptation and resiliency strategies applicable to the city or county that was not available during the previous revision of the safety element.
SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code.
2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 26 of 27
TITLE 7. PLANNING AND LAND USE [65000 - 66499.58] ( Heading of Title 7 amended by Stats. 1974, Ch. 1536. ) DIVISION 1. PLANNING AND ZONING [65000 - 66345.4] ( Heading of Division 1 added by Stats. 1974, Ch. 1536. ) CHAPTER 3. Local Planning [65100 - 65763] ( Chapter 3 repealed and added by Stats. 1965, Ch. 1880. ) 65302.15.
GOVERNMENT CODE - GOV
ARTICLE 5. Authority for and Scope of General Plans [65300 - 65303.4] ( Article 5 added by Stats. 1965, Ch. 1880. ) (a) Upon the next revision of a local hazard mitigation plan, adopted in accordance with the federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-390), on or after January 1, 2022, or, if a local jurisdiction has not adopted a local hazard mitigation plan, beginning on or before January 1, 2022, the safety element adopted pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 65302 shall be reviewed and updated as necessary to identify evacuation routes and their capacity, safety, and viability and evacuation locations under a range of emergency scenarios. A county or city that has adopted a local hazard mitigation plan, emergency operations plan, or other document that fulfills commensurate goals and objectives may use that information in the safety element to comply with this section and, in that event, shall summarize and incorporate into the safety element that other plan or document.
(b) After the initial revision of the safety element pursuant to subdivision (a), the planning agency shall review and, if necessary, revise the safety element upon each revision of the housing element or local hazard mitigation plan, but not less than once every eight years, to identify new information relating to flood and fire hazards and climate adaptation and resiliency strategies applicable to the city or county that was not available during the previous revision of the safety element. (Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 481, Sec. 1. (AB 1409) Effective January 1, 2022.) 2026-08-26 Item #12E Page 27 of 27