CA SB414

Establishes a schedule of drills and exercises required under federal Salvage and Marine Firefighting regulations, to be developed by the administrator in cooperation with the United States Coast Guard.

Requires the administrator to submit a report to the Legislature by January 1, 2017 assessing best achievable technology for oil spill prevention and response, and to update regulations governing oil spill contingency plans by July 1, 2018.

Mandates the administrator to direct Harbor Safety Committees to assess the presence and capability of tugs in their regions to provide emergency towing of tank and nontank vessels, with assessments for San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles-Long Beach areas initiated by May 1, 2016.

Requires the administrator to study dispersant use and effects in consultation with peer-reviewed scientific literature, to request updates to the federal California Dispersant Plan by May 1, 2016, and to notify the Legislature within three days if dispersants are used in state waters with written justification and effectiveness reports.

Establishes a taskforce to evaluate the feasibility of using vessels of opportunity for oil spill response and to provide recommendations to the administrator and Legislature by January 1, 2017, and eliminates the penalty reduction for oil that is recovered and properly disposed of.