REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 23, 2026
FROM
REBECCA SUAREZ, Director, Risk Management Department
SUBJECT
Title
Public Risk Innovation, Solutions, and Management Joint Powers Agreement
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Rescind Joint Powers Authority Agreement No. 20-302 with Public Risk Innovation, Solutions, and Management.
2. Approve amended Joint Powers Authority Agreement with Public Risk Innovation, Solutions, and Management, effective upon approval and continuing until terminated in accordance with the agreement.
3. Authorize the Director of the Department of Risk Management as the principal representative or Deputy Director of the Department of Risk Management, as the alternate, to execute the Public Risk Innovation, Solutions, and Management Joint Powers Agreement.
4. Direct the Director of Risk Management to transmit the Joint Powers Authority Agreement to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Rebecca Suarez, Director, 386-8723)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost), as this item is non-financial in nature. Approval of this item does not change the County's participation level, membership contributions, or insurance program costs.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In 1979, the California counties formed the California State Association of Counties. On March 25, 2014 (Item No. 49), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) Agreement between the County and California State Association of Counties-Excess Insurance Authority (CSAC-EIA), allowing the County to join CSAC-EIA as a public entity member, granting eligibility for the County to purchase insurance through its shared limits programs, and appointed the Director of DRM as the County’s principal representative and the Deputy Director of DRM as the alternate representative to CSAC-EIA.
On May 19, 2020 (Item No. 87), the Board approved Agreement No. 20-302, which was an amendment to the CSAC-EIA JPA Agreement to change its name to Public Risk Innovation, Solutions, and Management (PRISM), remove a provision that requires county members to maintain a membership in the California State Association of Counties, and additional changes to conform to current business operations.
Today, 54 out of the 58 counties in California participate in one or more of the PRISM programs. In 2001, PRISM expanded its offerings to other California public agencies. At this point, over 70% of the cities in California participate in one or more of the PRISM programs. In addition, a variety of special districts, school districts, and JPAs also participate in PRISM Programs. PRISM is recognized as the largest public entity property and casualty pool in the United States.
Approval of the new JPA Agreement (Agreement) will replace Agreement No. 20-302. The new Agreement updates the composition of the PRISM Board of Directors (PRISM Board) to recognize the partnership between the counties and the public entity members. At present, the PRISM Board comprises 54 county members, all with voting positions on the Board, and seven public-entity voting seats with three alternates, for a total of 61 voting members. The Agreement also adds 10 additional voting public entity board seats, increasing the total from seven to seventeen public entity voting seats, with three additional alternates. This will result in a total of 71 voting seats on the PRISM Board. Under this proposal, the counties will hold 76% of the voting seats on the PRISM Board.
In addition, the Agreement will update the composition of the Executive Committee, which oversees the organization's day-to-day activities. Currently, the Executive Committee has 11 members, and the proposal is to increase the number to 13, with two additional alternates. The Executive Committee members are elected by the PRISM Board. The other changes are updates to the Agreement that reflect the organization's current operations and remove the word "insurance" from the document, since the JPA is a risk-sharing pool that provides excess coverage for members and risk-sharing pools are not “insurance” under the law.
These changes were discussed with PRISM’s Executive Committee and various Committee Chairs at a strategic planning retreat in November 2022. The discussion largely centered on the idea that public entities have been members of the organization since 2001, have participated in the organization's governance by serving on PRISM Committees, and that approximately half of PRISM's annual contributions come from public entity members, with the other half from counties. The group discussed the size and function of the PRISM Board, including what it delegates to others and whether to eliminate the distinction between county and public-entity members in the governance process. The composition of the Executive Committee was also discussed.
DRM recommends approval of this item to continue participation in Agreement. The delegated authority will authorize the Director of DRM as the principal representative or the Deputy Director of DRM, as the alternate, to execute the Agreement to ensure timely execution and continuous enrollment.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (G. Ross Trindle III, Chief Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on June 2, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Eduardo Mora, Administrative Analyst, 387-4376) on June 3, 2026.