California’s AB 38 — signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger in September — established the California Emergency Management Agency as a Cabinet-level entity responsible for emergency management and homeland security operations and set the deadline for appointing a secretary at January 1, 2009.

Schwarzenegger has less than a month to decide on a plan to merge the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security into the new agency. (GovTech)