The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) saw its share of the state’s $310.8 budget decline with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signing of the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year state budget — but that’s as of July 1, the first day of the new fiscal year and a time when actual expenditures from the previous fiscal year become more clear. CalOES’s budget is $3.2 billion, down from $4.4 billion in FY 2022-23. That’s a decline of nearly 28 percent. (All numbers are rounded.) But that’s likely due in large part to the Office receiving significantly less money in the area of special programs and grant management. In FY 2022-23, CalOES received $3.8 billion in that area, compared with just $2.5 billion in FY 2023-24. (And budget numbers can be subject to change; that $3.8 billion from special programs and grant management more than doubled since the 2022-23 Fiscal Year budget took effect July 1, 2022. As enacted, the FY 2022-23 budget gave CalOES just $1.7 billion in special programs and grant management.) The Office’s approved staffing number rises from 1,759 in FY 2022-23 to 1,897 in FY 2023-24, an increase of nearly 8 percent. But here’s some of the funding CalOES received for IT and cybersecurity initiatives:
- $137.6 million from other funds for Next-Generation 911 and the California Public Safety Microwave Network. In a budget change proposal (BCP), CalOES had sought precisely that amount ($19.5 million in state operations and $118.1 million in local assistance) for FY 2023-24, plus $132.8 million in FY 2024-25, and $91.4 million in “ongoing State Emergency Telephone Number Account” to support finishing the buildout of the California Public Safety Microwave Network buildout, completion of the Next-Gen 911 system — and maintenance and support of both. The two initiatives got underway in 2018-2019 and were due to be finished in 2022-2023 — but lack of funding the first year plus COVID-19 supply chain issues, and wildfire and drought-related resource limitations, have delayed that to 2023-2024.
- $23.2 million from the General Fund and 14 positions for the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC), which is part of CalOES with representation from several state government entities including the California Highway Patrol (CHP). In a BCP, CalOES, the California Military Department, the California Department of Technology and the CHP jointly sought $28.7 million and 17 positions to preserve resources authorized in FY 2020-21 and enhance the resources available to support the center’s responsibilities — specifically leading efforts to target cyber threats. The state entities in FY 2020-21 had sought positions and funding that was set to expire June 30, dealing then with a decline in federal funding.
- $531,000 from the General Fund for cybersecurity in the food and agriculture, and water and wastewater, sectors in response to state Senate Bill 892. The bill, which Newsom signed last September, compels CalOES and Cal-CSIC to prepare and submit to lawmakers by Jan. 1 a “strategic, multiyear outreach plan” to help both sectors improve cybersecurity and evaluate options for providing grants or alternative ways of funding the sectors as they do so. CalOES received what it had sought for FY 2023-24 in a BCP; it had also sought $280,000 from the General Fund in FY 2024-25. The funding will enable Cal-CSIC to accomplish SB 892 requirements including creating goals for cybersecurity outreach for the food and agriculture sectors, and water and wastewater sectors; and to assess and analyze their cyber threats and cybersecurity challenges as well as provide metrics and success criteria for improving their cybersecurity defenses.
