Fire prevention projects: California Environmental Quality Act: coastal development permits: exemptions.

Assembly Member Dixon's proposal to streamline fire prevention and electrical infrastructure projects would exempt certain wildfire safety measures from California's environmental review requirements. The legislation creates new exemptions from both the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and coastal development permit requirements for fuel modification projects that maintain 500-foot defensive spaces around structures, as well as fuel reduction efforts aimed at preventing wildfire spread.

The bill also exempts electrical grid resilience and hardening projects from CEQA review processes. Under current law, these types of projects typically require environmental impact reports or negative declarations before proceeding. While exempt projects would bypass these reviews, agencies must notify the California Coastal Commission within 14 days of starting work in coastal zones.

Local agencies retain responsibility for determining whether specific projects qualify for these exemptions. The bill specifies that local governments can utilize existing authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments to cover any costs associated with implementing these changes, rather than receiving state reimbursement. This maintains local control over project approval while potentially expediting the timeline for fire prevention and electrical infrastructure improvements.