Brief

The City Administrative Officer seeks to designate Los Angeles as the official applicant's agent for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) grants, including Hazard Mitigation, Fire Management Assistance, and Pre-Disaster Mitigation programs. This enables the City to apply for federal and state disaster assistance funding. The file was first adopted by Council in August 2020 and renewed in September 2023. A new renewal document submitted in May 2026 was approved by both the Public Safety Committee (June 10) and Budget and Finance Committee (June 16, 2026).

Full summary

This file authorizes the City Administrative Officer to serve as the City of Los Angeles's official authorized agent for a broad range of federal and state disaster and hazard mitigation grant programs. The designation covers federally declared disasters, Fire Management Assistance Grants, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, the Legislative Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program, the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program, the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, and California Early Earthquake Warning grants. The CAO acts as the central clearinghouse for all public assistance and hazard mitigation grant submissions, receipts, and disbursements, as required by Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 8.72.1, which also mandates that all disaster grant funds flow through the Disaster Assistance Trust Fund. The designation traces back to April 1994, when the Council first authorized the CAO as the City's authorized agent following the Northridge Earthquake. FEMA and CalOES require the resolution to be renewed every three years to remain valid. The current renewal, submitted by City Administrative Officer Matthew W. Szabo on May 28, 2026, is needed because the previous authorization approved by Council on September 6, 2023 expires September 5, 2026. The resolution is structured as a universal designation, meaning it applies to all open and future disasters declared within three years of approval, not just specific incidents. The practical stakes of the renewal are significant. The CAO is currently managing open disaster cases stretching back to 2009, including the 2025 California Fires and Straight-line Winds, multiple 2023 severe storm events, Tropical Storm Hilary, the 2019 Getty and Saddleridge Fires, and the 2020 COVID-19 disaster declaration, among others. Without a valid designation on file with FEMA and CalOES, the City's ability to process grant applications and disbursements for these and future disasters would be impaired. The 2023 renewal passed the full Council 13-0 with two abstentions. The 2026 renewal cleared the Public Safety Committee on June 10 and received concurrence from the Budget and Finance Committee on June 16. The item is now awaiting a full Council vote for final adoption before the September 5, 2026 expiration deadline.

Activity (23)

• 2026-06-16 Budget and Finance Committee concurred with the Public Safety Committee's action of June 10, 2026.
• 2026-06-12 Budget and Finance Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on June 16, 2026.
• 2026-06-10 Public Safety Committee approved item(s) .
• 2026-06-05 Public Safety Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on June 10, 2026.
• 2026-05-28 City Administrative Officer document(s) referred to Public Safety Committee.
• 2026-05-28 Document submitted by City Administrative Officer, dated May 28, 2026.
• 2026-05-28 City Administrative Officer document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee; Public Safety Committee.
• 2023-09-08 Council action final.
• 2023-09-06 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
• 2023-09-01 City Clerk scheduled item for committee meeting on September 6, 2023.
• 2023-08-22 Public Safety Committee approved item(s) .
• 2023-08-18 Public Safety Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on August 22, 2023.
• 2023-08-08 Public Safety Committee meeting cancelled.
• 2023-08-04 Public Safety Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on August 8, 2023.
• 2023-06-26 City Administrative Officer document(s) referred to Public Safety Committee.
• 2023-06-23 Document(s) submitted by City Administrative Officer, as follows:City Administrative Officer report 0100-00623-0000, dated June 23, 2023, relative to renewal of the Designation of Applicant's Agent Resolution for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State of California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
• 2020-08-18 Council action final.
• 2020-08-18 Council adopted item forthwith.
• 2020-08-14 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on August 18, 2020.
• 2020-08-11 Public Safety Committee approved item(s) .
• 2020-08-07 Public Safety Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on August 11, 2020.
• 2020-07-17 City Administrative Officer document(s) referred to Public Safety Committee.
• 2020-07-17 Document(s) submitted by City Administrative Officer, as follows:City Administrative Officer report 0100-00611-0000, dated July 17, 2020, relative to the renewal of the Designation of Applicant's Agent Resolution for Non-State Agencies in connection with obtaining Federal and State disaster assistance and Fire Management Assistance grants.

Documents (12)

• 2026-06-10 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2026-05-28 Report from City Administrative Officer · report
• 2023-09-08 Council Action · council_action
• 2023-09-06 Attested Resolution · other
• 2023-09-06 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2023-08-22 Report from Public Safety Committee · report
• 2023-08-22 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2023-06-23 Report from City Administrative Officer · report
• 2020-08-18 Attested Cal OES 130 Forms · other
• 2020-08-18 Council Action · council_action
• 2020-08-11 Report from Public Safety Committee · report
• 2020-07-17 Report from City Administrative Officer · report

Council votes (1)

• 2023-09-06 Vote — 13-0-2 · Regular