Prisons: death benefit for incarcerated firefighters.

Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez's legislation establishing death benefits for incarcerated firefighters in California's Conservation Camp program would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to compensate designated beneficiaries when crew members die during active deployment, training, or from duty-related incapacitation.

The proposed death benefit combines a fixed $50,000 payment with 50% of the deceased crew member's earnings from the previous 12 months. The department must disburse these funds within 60 days to beneficiaries previously designated by the crew member. The measure overrides existing Labor Code provisions regarding death benefits for incarcerated workers.

The bill adds to existing policies governing the Conservation Camp program, where incarcerated individuals work on fire prevention and control projects under Department of Forestry and Fire Protection supervision. While the program currently allows participants to petition courts for relief after release, it contains no provisions for death benefits. The department would implement this new requirement through existing budget allocations, as the measure requires no additional appropriations.