Government Code section 8654

(a)

Whenever the Governor has proclaimed a state of emergency and the President has declared an emergency or a major disaster to exist in this state, the Governor may do any of the following:

(1)

Enter into purchases, leases, or other arrangements with any agency of the United States for temporary housing units to be occupied by disaster victims and make those units available to any political subdivision for that purpose.

(2)

Assist any political subdivision within which temporary housing for disaster victims is proposed to be located to acquire sites necessary for that temporary housing and to do all things required to prepare those sites to receive and utilize temporary housing units by advancing or lending any funds available to the Governor from any appropriation made by the Legislature or from any other source, by transmitting any funds made available by any public or private agency, or by acting in cooperation with the political subdivision for the execution and performance of any project for temporary housing for disaster victims, and for those purposes to pledge the credit of the state on terms as the Governor declares necessary under the circumstances, having due regard for current financial obligations of the state.

(3)

Under regulations as the Governor shall make, temporarily suspend or modify for not to exceed 60 days any public health, safety, zoning, or intrastate transportation law, ordinance, or regulation when by proclamation he or she declares the suspension or modification essential to provide temporary housing for disaster victims.

(4)

Upon his or her determination that financial assistance is essential to meet disaster-related necessary expenses or serious needs of individuals or households adversely affected by a Presidential declaration of a major disaster or emergency that cannot be otherwise adequately met from other means of assistance, accept assistance in the form of grants by the federal government to fund that financial assistance, subject to those terms and conditions as may be imposed upon the grant.
(5)Enter into an agreement with the federal government, or any officer or agency thereof, pledging the state to participate in the funding of any grant accepted pursuant to paragraph (1), in an amount not to exceed 25 percent thereof, and, if state funds are not otherwise available to the Governor, accept an advance of the state share from the federal government to be repaid when the state is able to do so.
(6)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, make financial grants available to meet disaster-related necessary expenses or serious needs of individuals or households adversely affected by a Presidential declaration of a major disaster or emergency in accordance with the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and Section 13600 and 13601 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(b)

Whenever the President at the request of the Governor declares a major disaster to exist in this state, the Governor may do any of the following:
(1)Upon his or her determination that a local government will suffer a substantial loss of tax and other revenues from a major disaster and has demonstrated a need for financial assistance to perform its governmental functions, apply to the federal government, on behalf of the local government, for a loan, and receive and disburse the proceeds of that loan to the local government.
(2)Determine the amount needed by a local government to restore or resume its governmental functions, and certify that amount to the federal government. However, that amount shall not exceed 25 percent of the annual operating budget of the local government for the fiscal year in which the major disaster has occurred.
(3)Recommend to the federal government, after reviewing the matter, the cancellation of all or any part of a loan made pursuant to paragraph (2) when during the period of three full fiscal years immediately following the major disaster, the revenues of the local government are insufficient to meet its operating expenses, including disaster-related expenses incurred by the local government.

(c)

The Governor shall make those regulations as are necessary in carrying out the purposes of paragraphs (4), (5), and (6) of subdivision (a), including, but not limited to: standards of eligibility for persons applying for benefits; procedures for application and administration; methods of investigation, processing, and approving applications; formation of local or statewide review boards to pass upon applications; and procedures for appeals.

(d)

Any political subdivision is expressly authorized to acquire, temporarily or permanently, by purchase, lease, or otherwise, sites required for installation of temporary housing units for disaster victims, and to enter into whatever arrangements (including purchase of temporary housing units and payment of transportation charges) are necessary to prepare or equip the sites to utilize the housing units.

(e)

Any person who fraudulently makes any misstatement of fact in connection with an application for financial assistance under this section shall, upon conviction of each offense, be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.

(f)

The terms “major disaster,” “emergency,” and “temporary housing,” as used in this section, shall have the same meaning as those terms are defined or used in the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (P.L. 93-288, as amended by P.L. 100-707). It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this section that it shall be liberally construed to effectuate the purposes of that federal act.

Source: Section 8654, https://leginfo.­legislature.­ca.­gov/faces/codes_displaySection.­xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=8654.­ (accessed May 12, 2025).

Last Updated

May 12, 2025

§ 8654’s source at ca​.gov