(a) The Legislature finds and declares that there exists the California Residential Mitigation Program, also known as the CRMP, a joint powers authority created in 2012 by agreement between the California Earthquake Authority and the Office of Emergency Services.

(b) Any funds appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose of funding the CRMP’s implementation of the grant program described in this section shall be to the department, which shall provide the funds to the California Earthquake Authority’s Earthquake Loss Mitigation Fund, pursuant to subdivision (k) of Section 10089.7 and according to the terms of an agreement negotiated by the department and the authority. The authority, the prime funder of the CRMP, shall then transfer the funds from its Earthquake Loss Mitigation Fund to the CRMP for further implementation and expansion of the CRMP’s Earthquake Brace and Bolt program, upon actions by the respective governing boards of the authority and the CRMP, authorizing and accepting that transfer. The CRMP shall, pursuant to the requirements of this section, implement the grant program and make grants that assist a qualifying owner of a single-family residential structure by defraying the owner’s costs of seismic retrofitting of the structure.

(c) The CRMP may make a grant to an applicant who satisfies all of the following:

(1) The applicant is an owner of record of, and lives in, the structure to be retrofitted.

(2) The structure is a single-family, detached, residential building composed of one to four dwelling units.

(3) The structure meets structural requirements established pursuant to subdivision (e).

(4) The structure is located in a high-risk earthquake area, based on criteria established pursuant to subdivision (e).

(5) The retrofit work qualifies as work for which the applicant may receive a grant, based on criteria established pursuant to subdivision (e).

(d) Subject to the policies, procedures, and criteria adopted pursuant to subdivision (e), a grant shall not exceed the lesser of 75 percent of the cost of the qualifying retrofit work, or three thousand dollars ($3,000).

(e) The governing board of the CRMP shall adopt policies and procedures to implement this section, including, but not limited to, establishing structural eligibility requirements for structures that will receive a grant for seismic retrofit work, defining criteria for determining whether a structure is located in a high-earthquake-risk area, and defining criteria for seismic retrofit work that qualifies as work eligible for receipt of a grant, which may be awarded in amounts of greater or lesser than the amounts established by subdivision (d). In adopting those policies and procedures, the governing board shall provide notice and opportunity for public review and comment, publish the policies and procedures on the CRMP’s Internet Web site, and otherwise make the policies and procedures available to the public.

(Added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 25, Sec. 41. (SB 84) Effective June 24, 2015.)