prisons: death benefit for incarcerated firefighters.

Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez's proposal to establish death benefits for incarcerated firefighters serving in California's Conservation Camp program would create a new financial safety net for those who lose their lives while fighting fires or during training activities. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation would provide $50,000 plus half of the deceased crew member's prior year earnings to their designated beneficiary.

The bill outlines three specific circumstances that would qualify for benefits: deaths occurring during active firefighting deployment, during firefighter training exercises, or resulting from physical or mental incapacitation due to these duties. The Department must distribute payments within 60 days of a qualifying death. This builds upon existing programs that utilize incarcerated persons for fire prevention and control work under Department of Forestry and Fire Protection supervision.

The measure adds these provisions to current Conservation Camp operations without requiring new state appropriations, indicating the Department would fund benefits through its existing budget. While the total fiscal impact would depend on the number of qualifying incidents, the fixed payment structure provides clear parameters for both administrators and potential beneficiaries.