Chapter 5. Duties Of The Office of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 28. >> Chapter 5.

The office shall, in order to protect health and well-being establish and maintain a program on noise control, including but not limited to:
  (a) Determining the psychological and physical health effects of noise.
  (b) Determining the physiological effects of noise upon plant and animal life.
  (c) Monitoring noise.
  (d) Collecting and disseminating authoritative information on adverse effects of noise and of means for its control.
  (e) Developing, in cooperation with local governments, model ordinances for urban, suburban, and rural environments.
  (f) Providing assistance to local governmental entities engaged in developing and implementing noise abatement procedures.
  (g) Developing criteria and guidelines for use in setting standards for human exposure to noise.
  (h) Developing standards for the use of noise-producing objects in California.
  (i) Developing criteria for submission to the Legislature so that state agencies may require noise control in equipment purchased for state use.

Notwithstanding Section 65040.2 of the Government Code, the office shall adopt, in coordination with the Office of Planning and Research and each state department and agency as it deems appropriate, guidelines for the preparation and content of noise elements as required by Section 65302 of the Government Code. In adding Section 39850.1 to the Health and Safety Code, which was the predecessor to this section, and amending Section 65302 of the Government Code by Chapter 1124 of the Statutes of 1975, it was the intent of the Legislature to ensure, insofar as possible, that new and periodically revised noise elements in local governments' general plans be more standardized, comprehensive, and utilitarian than they had been previously. However, the Legislature also recognized that some cities and counties had already adopted noise elements pursuant to the existing Section 65302 of the Government Code and that others had received extensions on the due date of their noise element until September 20, 1975. Those cities and counties were not required to resubmit new noise elements consistent with Section 65302 of the Government Code, or to recognize guidelines adopted pursuant to this section, but are required, upon initial and periodic revision of the noise element, to comply with Section 65302 of the Government Code and to recognize those guidelines. The requirement that the office adopt guidelines for the preparation and content of noise elements shall be inoperative during the 1993-94 fiscal year.