Animals: California Animal Response Emergency System program: Animal Care Network in Disasters program.

Existing law requires the Office of Emergency Services, in coordination with all interested state agencies with designated response roles in the state emergency plan and interested local emergency management agencies, to jointly establish by regulation a standardized emergency management system for use by all emergency response agencies, to include specified components. Existing law requires the office to approve, adopt, and incorporate the California Animal Response Emergency System (CARES) program developed under the oversight of the Department of Food and Agriculture into the standardized emergency management system. This bill would require the department to expand and develop, as part of its CARES program, under the oversight of the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, the Animal Care Network in Disasters program that represents a coordinated network of government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and volunteers to assist in the evacuation and care of household and domestic animals and livestock in emergencies. The bill would establish the Animal Care Network in Disasters Fund in the State Treasury to, upon appropriation, be used solely to support the program, including through an agreement with one or more schools of veterinary medicine, as specified. The bill would specify that moneys in the fund are not to be considered offsets to any other state funds appropriated to the program or contracting veterinary schools or their affiliated educational institutions. The bill would require the secretary to annually review and approve proposed uses of any program funds.