California's Senate has passed SB 831, with the goal of modernizing the California Geological Survey's (CGS) authority and technical resources to focus on earthquakes, landslides and other natural hazards with a specific tie to climate-induced risks.
The legislation was sent to Governor Gavin Newsom for his signature.
According to state documents, the legislation revises the fundamental definition of "geologic hazard" to include "earthquake, landslide, mineral hazards, postfire debris flow, subsidence, coastal and inland erosion, expansive soil, fault displacement, and volcanic eruption."
This expansion from the current definition, which has remained unchanged since 1988, explicitly recognizes climate-related geological risks.
According to the bill's author statement, "As the effects of climate change become more apparent, hazards such as mineral hazards, postfire debris flow, subsidence, and inland and coastal erosion must be clarified as potential dangers to life and property under the definition."
Enhanced State Authority and Coordination
The legislation designates the California Department of Conservation as "the primary state agency responsible for review and investigation of geologic hazards, including, but not limited to, the strong motion aspects of earthquake and any geologic hazards that may occur in relation to natural disasters and climate change."
Significantly for catastrophe modeling firms, the bill requires the CGS to "include records that support earthquake early warning and structural health monitoring" in its strong-motion instrument data collection. This enhancement could provide more granular seismic data for modeling applications.
Modernization of Outdated Statutes
State legislative analysis noted that "many of the Survey's statutes have not been revised for multiple decades, and they do not currently reflect how the Survey's programs and activities have evolved over time." The committee emphasized that "numerous statutes within the PRC provide authority to the Survey were last updated more than 20 years ago, with some being more than 50 years old."
The California Construction & Industrial Materials Association supported the legislation, stating that it "modernizes and clarifies the duties and functions of the Survey," noting that California's "complex and diverse geology" has made the Survey "a preeminent scientific institution which provides a wide variety of essential geologic services to the state."
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, the Department of Conservation "anticipates minor and absorbable costs to the Survey as a result of this bill," suggesting minimal direct fiscal implications.
The legislation passed the Senate 29-0 and the Assembly 13-0.
