(a)  There is hereby continuously appropriated from the state account to the department the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) for each fiscal year as a reserve account for emergencies, notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code. The department shall expend moneys available in the reserve account only for the purpose of taking immediate corrective action necessary to remedy or prevent an emergency resulting from a fire or an explosion of, or human exposure to, hazardous substances caused by the release or threatened release of a hazardous substance.

(b)  (1)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department may enter into written contracts for corrective action taken or to be taken pursuant to subdivision (a).

(2)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department may enter into oral contracts, not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) in obligation, when, in the judgment of the department, immediate corrective action is necessary to remedy or prevent an emergency specified in subdivision (a).

(3)  The contracts made pursuant to this subdivision, whether written or oral, may include provisions for the rental of tools or equipment, either with or without operators furnished, and for the furnishing of labor and materials necessary to accomplish the work.

(4)  If the department finds that the corrective action includes the relocation of individuals, the department may contract with those individuals for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in moving for an amount of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).

(c)  The department shall include in the biennial report specified in Section 25178 an accounting of the moneys expended pursuant to this section. Once the appropriation made pursuant to subdivision (a) is fully expended, the director may file a report with the Legislature if it is in session or, if it is not in session, with the Committee on Rules of the Assembly and the Senate as to the moneys expended pursuant to this section. The Legislature may appropriate moneys from the state account, in addition to those moneys appropriated pursuant to subdivision (a), to the department for the purpose of taking corrective action pursuant to subdivision (a).

(d)  Except as provided in subdivision (c), the amount deposited in the reserve account and appropriated pursuant to this section shall not exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000) in any fiscal year. On June 30 of each year, the unencumbered balance of the reserve account shall revert to and be deposited in the state account.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 1999, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective May 26, 1999.)