Wildfire safety: fire protection building standards: defensible space requirements: The California Wildfire Mitigation Strategic Planning Act.

Senators Becker and Laird's comprehensive wildfire safety legislation establishes California's first statewide framework for coordinating and evaluating wildfire risk mitigation efforts across jurisdictions. The bill creates a three-part planning system requiring the Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation to develop and maintain quantitative tools for assessing wildfire risks and mitigation strategies.

The legislation mandates development of a Wildfire Risk Mitigation Planning Framework by January 2027 to evaluate mitigation actions geospatially, followed by a statewide Wildfire Risk Baseline and Forecast in April 2027 that will set risk reduction targets and assess current conditions. An annual Wildfire Mitigation Scenarios Report, beginning August 2027, must outline potential mitigation spending scenarios and coordination opportunities between utility and non-utility wildfire programs.

The bill accelerates implementation of ember-resistant zone requirements for existing structures, particularly rental properties and homes for sale. Local agencies can access grant funding through 2029 to hire wildfire inspectors for enforcing these requirements in high-risk areas, provided they adopt civil fine authority for violations. The State Fire Marshal must extend current wildfire building standards to apply to all reconstruction within wildfire perimeters after July 2026.

To support local implementation, the legislation expands eligible activities under the state's fire prevention grant program to include risk-targeted prevention work and early adoption of ember-resistant zones. Beginning in 2029, contingent on annual appropriations, the program will fund local government mitigation efforts aligned with the new planning framework through 2045.