(a) The office shall adopt, after public hearing and consultation with the Office of the State Fire Marshal and other appropriate public entities, regulations for minimum standards for business plans and area plans. All business plans and area plans shall meet the standards adopted by the office.

(b) The standards for business plans in the regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall do all of the following:

(1) Set forth minimum requirements of adequacy, and not preclude the imposition of additional or more stringent requirements by local government.

(2) Take into consideration and adjust for the size and nature of the business, the proximity of the business to residential areas and other populations, and the nature of the damage potential of its hazardous materials in establishing standards for paragraphs (3) and (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 25505.

(3) Take into account the existence of local area and business plans that meet the requirements of this article so as to minimize the duplication of local efforts, consistent with the objectives of this article.

(4) Define what releases and threatened releases are required to be reported pursuant to Section 25510. The office shall consider the existing federal reporting requirements in determining a definition of reporting releases pursuant to Section 25510.

(c) A unified program agency shall, in consultation with local emergency response agencies, establish an area plan for emergency response to a release or threatened release of a hazardous material within its jurisdiction. An area plan is not a statute, ordinance, or regulation for purposes of Section 669 of the Evidence Code. The standards for area plans in the regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall provide for all of the following:

(1) Procedures and protocols for emergency response personnel, including the safety and health of those personnel.

(2) Preemergency planning.

(3) Notification and coordination of onsite activities with state, local, and federal agencies, responsible parties, and special districts.

(4) Training of appropriate employees.

(5) Onsite public safety and information.

(6) Required supplies and equipment.

(7) Access to emergency response contractors and hazardous waste disposal sites.

(8) Incident critique and followup.

(9) Requirements for notification to the office of reports made pursuant to Section 25510.

(d) (1) The unified program agency shall submit to the office for its review a copy of the proposed area plan within 180 days after adoption of regulations by the office. The office shall notify the unified program agency as to whether the area plan is adequate and meets the area plan standards. The unified program agency shall submit a corrected area plan within 45 days of this notice.

(2) The unified program agency shall certify to the office every three years that it has conducted a complete review of its area plan and has made any necessary revisions. If a unified program agency makes a substantial change to its area plan, it shall forward the changes to the office within 14 days after the changes have been made.

(e) The inspection and enforcement program established pursuant to paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 25404.2, shall include the basic provisions of a plan to conduct onsite inspections of businesses subject to this article by the unified program agency. These inspections shall ensure compliance with this article and shall identify existing safety hazards that could cause or contribute to a release and, where appropriate, enforce any applicable laws and suggest preventative measures designed to minimize the risk of the release of hazardous material into the workplace or environment. The requirements of this subdivision do not alter or affect the immunity provided to a public entity pursuant to Section 818.6 of the Government Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 715, Sec. 3. (SB 1261) Effective January 1, 2015.)