GOVERNMENT CODE
SECTION 53150-53159
53150.  Any person who is under the influence of an alcoholicbeverage or any drug, or the combined influence of an alcoholicbeverage and any drug, whose negligent operation of a motor vehiclecaused by that influence proximately causes any incident resulting inan appropriate emergency response, and any person whoseintentionally wrongful conduct proximately causes any incidentresulting in an appropriate emergency response, is liable for theexpense of an emergency response by a public agency to the incident.53151.  Any person who is under the influence of an alcoholicbeverage or any drug, or the combined influence of an alcoholicbeverage and any drug, whose negligent operation of any boat orvessel caused by that influence proximately causes any incidentresulting in an appropriate emergency response, and any person whoseintentionally wrongful conduct proximately causes any incidentresulting in an appropriate emergency response, is liable for theexpense of an emergency response by a public agency to the incident.53152.  Any person who is under the influence of an alcoholicbeverage or any drug, or the combined influence of an alcoholicbeverage and any drug, whose negligent operation of a civil aircraftcaused by that influence proximately causes any incident resulting inan appropriate emergency response, and any person whoseintentionally wrongful conduct proximately causes an incidentresulting in an appropriate emergency response, is liable for theexpense of an emergency response by a public agency to the incident.53153.  For purposes of this article, a person is under theinfluence of an alcoholic beverage or any drug, or the combinedinfluence of an alcoholic beverage and any drug, when as a result ofdrinking an alcoholic beverage or using a drug, or both, his or herphysical or mental abilities are impaired to a degree that he or sheno longer has the ability to operate a motor vehicle, boat or vessel,or aircraft with the caution characteristic of a sober person ofordinary prudence under the same or similar circumstances. Forpurposes of this article, the presumptions described in Sections23152 and 23155 of the Vehicle Code shall apply.53153.5.  (a)  Any person 18 years of age or older who is convictedof making a false police report, in violation of Section 148.3 of thePenal Code, and that false police report proximately causes anappropriate emergency response by a public agency, is liable for theexpense of the emergency response made by the responding publicagency to the incident. (b) A public agency shall be entitled to satisfaction of anyjudgment for expenses pursuant to this article after any victims orother persons injured by the incident are compensated for theirinjuries and any liens held by a medical provider are satisfied.53154.  The expense of an emergency response shall be a chargeagainst the person liable for expenses under this article. The chargeconstitutes a debt of that person and is collectible by the publicagency incurring those costs in the same manner as in the case of anobligation under a contract, expressed or implied, except thatliability for the expenses provided for in this article shall not beinsurable and no insurance policy shall provide or pay for theexpenses.53155.  In no event shall a person's liability under this articlefor the expense of an emergency response exceed twelve thousanddollars ($12,000) for a particular incident.53156.  As used in this article: (a) "Expense of an emergency response" means reasonable costsincurred by a public agency in reasonably making an appropriateemergency response to the incident, but shall only include thosecosts directly arising because of the response to the particularincident. Reasonable costs shall include the costs of providingpolice, firefighting, rescue, and emergency medical services at thescene of the incident, as well as the salaries of the personnelresponding to the incident. (b) "Public agency" means the state and any city, county,municipal corporation, district, or public authority located, inwhole or in part, within this state which provides or may providefirefighting, police, ambulance, medical, or other emergencyservices. (c) "Intentionally wrongful conduct" means conduct intended toinjure another person or property.53157.  Any testimony, admission, or any other statement made by thedefendant in any proceeding brought pursuant to this article, or anyevidence derived from the testimony, admission, or other statement,shall not be admitted or otherwise used in any criminal proceedingarising out of the same incident.53158.  It is not the intent of the Legislature, in enacting thisarticle, to occupy the field of recovery of the expense of anemergency response by a public agency, nor is it the intent of theLegislature to preempt local regulations or to otherwise limit theremedies available to any public agency to recover the expenses of anemergency response to any incident not involving persons who operatea motor vehicle, a boat or vessel, or a civil aircraft while underthe influence of an alcoholic beverage or any drug, or the combinedinfluence of an alcoholic beverage and any drug. It is the intent ofthe Legislature that the recovery of the expenses of an emergencyresponse under this chapter shall supplement and shall not supplantany other provisions of law relating to the recovery of thoseexpenses.53159.  (a) As used in this section, the following terms have thefollowing meanings: (1) "Expenses of an emergency response" means those reasonable andnecessary costs directly incurred by public agencies, for-profitentities, or not-for-profit entities that make an appropriateemergency response to an incident, and include the cost of providingpolice, firefighting, search and rescue, and emergency medicalservices at the scene of an incident, and salaries of the persons whorespond to the incident, but does not include charges assessed by anambulance service. (2) "Public agency" means the state and any city, county,municipal corporation, or other public authority that is located inwhole or in part in this state and that provides police,firefighting, medical, or other emergency services. (b) Any person who intentionally, knowingly, and willfully entersinto any area that is closed or has been closed to the public bycompetent authority for any reason, or an area that a reasonableperson under the circumstances should have known was closed to thepublic, is liable for the expenses of an emergency response requiredto search for or rescue that person, or if the person was operating avehicle, any of his or her passengers, plus the expenses for theremoval of any inoperable vehicle. Posting a sign, placing abarricade, a restraining or retaining wall, roping off an area, orany other device is sufficient indication that an area is closed tothe public due to danger of injury, for the public's safety, or forany other reason. (c) A person who drives a vehicle on a public street or highwaythat is temporarily covered by a rise in water level, includinggroundwater or overflow of water, and that is barricaded by any ofthe means described in subdivision (b), because of flooding, isliable for the expenses of any emergency response that is required toremove from the public street or highway, the driver, or anypassenger in the vehicle that has become inoperable on the publicstreet or highway, or the vehicle that has become inoperable on thepublic street or highway. (d) Unless otherwise provided by law, this section shall apply toall persons, regardless of whether the person is on foot, on skis orsnowshoes, or is operating a motor vehicle, bicycle, vessel,watercraft, raft, snowmobile, all-terrain vehicle, or any other boator vehicle of any description. (e) This section shall not apply to any person who is authorizedby the landowner, lessor, or manager of the closed area, to be in theclosed area, and further shall have no application to any federal,state, or local government official who is in the closed area as partof his or her official duty, nor to any public utility performingservices consistent with its public purpose, nor to any person actingin concert with a government authorized search or rescue. A personwho was attempting to rescue another person or an animal shall not beliable for expenses of an emergency response under this section. (f) Expenses of an emergency response are a charge against theperson liable for those expenses pursuant to subdivision (b) or (c).The charge constitutes a debt of that person and may be collectedproportionately as specified in subdivision (g). The debt shall applyonly to the person who intentionally, knowingly, and willfullyenters the closed area, and not to his or her family, heirs, orassigns. The parent or parents of a minor child who has violatedsubdivision (b) or (c) may be responsible for the debt. (g) The debt may be collected proportionately by the publicagencies, for-profit entities, and not-for-profit entities that incurthe expenses. The liability imposed under this section shall be inaddition to, and not in limitation of, any other liability, fines, orfees that are imposed by law. (h) An insurance policy may exclude coverage for a person'sliability for expenses of an emergency response.