To the Members of the California State Assembly:



I am returning Assembly Bill 2681 without my signature.



This bill requires local building departments in seismically active areas to submit an inventory of potentially vulnerable buildings to the Office of Emergency Services by January 1, 2021 and requires the Office to develop a statewide inventory of those buildings by January 1, 2023.

I agree with the author's goal to mitigate the effects of a large-scale earthquake. I am concerned, however, that this bill will not provide the greatest value for the significant investment this enterprise requires.

A more suitable approach is to develop a partnership between the state, local governments and building owners to develop a plan to cost effectively identify collapse prone buildings and a realistic timetable to develop an inventory.

Therefore, I will ask the California Seismic Safety Commission and other seismic experts to provide recommendations that identify an achievable path toward improving the safety of earthquake-vulnerable buildings.

Sincerely,



Edmund G. Brown Jr.







