There is hereby established in the State of California a strong-motion instrumentation program for the purpose of administering the program and of acquiring strong-motion instruments and installing and maintaining such instruments as needed in representative geologic environments and structures throughout the state.
Chapter 8Strong-Motion Instrumentation Program
Section § 2700
California has created a program to set up and manage strong-motion instruments. These instruments are used to measure and record ground motion, like earthquakes, in different types of landscapes and structures across the state.
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Section § 2701
This law section states that the program will be managed and overseen by the survey with guidance from the Seismic Safety Commission.
The survey shall organize and monitor the program with the advice of the Seismic Safety Commission.
Seismic Safety Commission program management program oversight survey organization seismic safety monitoring program advisory role safety commission advice program coordination earthquake preparedness disaster management public safety seismic readiness program supervision safety program administration
Section § 2702
This law mandates that a survey must buy, set up, and take care of equipment in various places and geological areas across the state. The purpose is to gather and process data from these instruments after earthquakes, as recommended by the Seismic Safety Commission.
The survey shall purchase, install, and maintain instruments in representative structures and geologic environments throughout the state, and shall process the data obtained from those instruments resulting from periodic earthquakes, as deemed necessary and desirable by the Seismic Safety Commission.
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Section § 2703
This law requires the survey to keep strong-motion instruments in good working order, gather and understand the data they collect, and provide this information and help to the construction industry.
The survey shall maintain and service the strong-motion instruments installed, shall collect and interpret all records from the instruments, and shall make the records, record interpretations, and technical assistance available to the construction industry.
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Section § 2704
This section expresses the Legislature's intention to ensure there are sufficient instruments or tools in place across California.
It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to provide adequate instrumentation throughout California.
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Section § 2705
This law requires cities and counties to collect a fee from anyone applying for a building permit. The fee is based on the type and size of the construction. For residential buildings up to three stories, excluding hotels and motels, the fee is $13 per $100,000 of construction cost. For all other buildings, the fee is $28 per $100,000. The fee can never be less than 50 cents. In some cases, these fees can be included directly in the building permit fee.
The money collected helps fund programs related to data use and education about seismic activities, and cities can keep up to 5% of the fee for these purposes if they prove funding is adequate. Remaining funds are put into a special fund for earthquake mapping and instrumentation purposes.
(a)CA Public Resources Code § 2705(a) A city, county, and city and county shall collect a fee from each applicant for a building permit. Each fee shall be equal to a specific amount of the proposed building construction for which the building permit is issued as determined by the local building officials. The fee amount shall be assessed in the following way:
(1)CA Public Resources Code § 2705(a)(1) Group R occupancies, as defined in the California Building Code (Part 2 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations), one to three stories in height, except hotels and motels, shall be assessed at the rate of thirteen dollars ($13) per one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), with appropriate fractions thereof.
(2)CA Public Resources Code § 2705(a)(2) All other
buildings shall be assessed at the rate of twenty-eight dollars ($28) per one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), with appropriate fractions thereof.
(3)CA Public Resources Code § 2705(a)(3) The fee shall be the amount assessed under paragraph (1) or (2), depending on building type, or fifty cents ($0.50), whichever is the higher.
(b)Copy CA Public Resources Code § 2705(b)
(1)Copy CA Public Resources Code § 2705(b)(1) In lieu of the requirements of subdivision (a), a city, county, and city and county may elect to include a rate of thirteen dollars ($13) per one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), with appropriate fractions thereof, in its basic building permit fee for any Group R occupancy defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), and a rate of twenty-eight dollars ($28) per one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), with appropriate fractions thereof, for all other building types. A city, county, and city and county electing to collect the fee pursuant to this
subdivision need not segregate the fees in a fund separate from any fund into which basic building permit fees are deposited.
(2)CA Public Resources Code § 2705(b)(2) “Building,” for the purpose of this chapter, is any structure built for the support, shelter, or enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, or property of any kind.
(c)Copy CA Public Resources Code § 2705(c)
(1)Copy CA Public Resources Code § 2705(c)(1) A city, county, and city and county may retain up to 5 percent of the total amount it collects under subdivision (a) or (b) for data utilization, for seismic education incorporating data interpretations from data of the strong-motion instrumentation program and the seismic hazards mapping program, and, in accordance with paragraph (2), for improving the preparation for damage assessment after strong seismic motion events.
(2)CA Public Resources Code § 2705(c)(2) A city, county, and city and county may use any funds retained pursuant to
this subdivision to improve the preparation for damage assessment in its jurisdiction only after it provides the Department of Conservation with information indicating to the department that data utilization and seismic education activities have been adequately funded.
(d)CA Public Resources Code § 2705(d) Funds collected pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b), less the amount retained pursuant to subdivision (c), shall be deposited in the Strong-Motion Instrumentation and Seismic Hazards Mapping Fund, as created by Section 2699.5 to be used exclusively for purposes of this chapter, Chapter 7.5 (commencing with Section 2621), and Chapter 7.8 (commencing with Section 2690).
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Section § 2705.5
The California Geological Survey helps counties and cities by telling them how much of their fees go to a fund used for earthquake monitoring and risk maps. This information is shared with people applying for building permits.
The California Geological Survey shall advise counties and cities as to that portion of the total fees allocated to the Strong-Motion Instrumentation and Seismic Hazards Mapping Fund, so that this information may be provided to building permit applicants.
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Section § 2707
This law allows the survey to lower the fees charged on building permits if the Seismic Safety Commission thinks that the earthquake detection tools are working well. The aim is to keep the program running smoothly with enough funds from these adjusted fees.
The survey, upon the advice of the Seismic Safety Commission, whenever it determines that an adequate instrumentation program has been achieved, may reduce the fee levied against building permits as provided in Section 2705 to a level sufficient to maintain the program established pursuant to this chapter.
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Section § 2709
This section allows cities or counties that were previously exempted from participating in a specific earthquake monitoring program to opt back in. To do this, their governing body must submit a written request to the State Geologist to cancel their exemption.
Any city or county that has been exempted from the provisions of Section 2705 by Section 2708 may participate in the state strong-motion instrumentation program by a written request to the State Geologist by the governing body of such city or county that its exemption be rescinded.
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Section § 2709.1
This law section says that strong-motion instruments, which help detect building movement during earthquakes, can't be installed in places like hospitals, dams, bridges, schools, and powerplants unless certain funds have been provided. These funds must be in proportion to the building's construction value or a special need must be identified by the Seismic Safety Commission. Exceptions can apply in emergencies. Funds can come from sources other than permit fees, and the Seismic Safety Commission decides which projects get priority.
(a)CA Public Resources Code § 2709.1(a) No strong-motion instrumentation shall be installed pursuant to this chapter in the structural types identified in subdivision (b) unless funds proportionate to the construction value as called for under Section 2705 are received from organizations or entities representing these structural types, or the instrumentation is specifically called for by the Seismic Safety Commission in urgency situations.
(b)CA Public Resources Code § 2709.1(b) The structural types subject to this section include all of the following:
(1)CA Public Resources Code § 2709.1(b)(1) Hospitals.
(2)CA Public Resources Code § 2709.1(b)(2) Dams.
(3)CA Public Resources Code § 2709.1(b)(3) Bridges.
(4)CA Public Resources Code § 2709.1(b)(4) Schools.
(5)CA Public Resources Code § 2709.1(b)(5) Powerplants.
(c)CA Public Resources Code § 2709.1(c) The Strong-Motion Instrumentation and Seismic Hazards Mapping Fund may accept funds from sources other than the permit fees identified in this chapter. The priority of installations performed under this chapter shall be determined by the Seismic Safety Commission.
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