(a) If a state of emergency is proclaimed, an eligible private nonprofit organization may receive state assistance for distribution of supplies and other disaster or emergency assistance activities resulting in extraordinary cost.
(b) A private nonprofit organization is eligible for assistance under this section if it is eligible for disaster assistance under the federal Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 5121).
(c) An organization is not eligible for assistance under this section if it employs religious content in the provision of emergency assistance.
(d) Any grant of assistance under this section shall comply with Section 4 of Article I and Section 5 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, state and federal civil rights laws, and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution in regard to the funding of religious organizations and activities. These legal constraints include prohibitions on the discrimination against beneficiaries and staff based on protected categories, on the use of public funds for proselytizing of religious doctrine, religious instruction, or worship, and on the use of other religious means to accomplish programmatic goals.
(e) The Office of Emergency Services shall adopt regulations to implement this section.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 352, Sec. 204. (AB 1317) Effective September 26, 2013. Operative July 1, 2013, by Sec. 543 of Ch. 352.)