Community Hardening Commission: wildfire mitigation program.

Senators Rubio, Cortese, and Stern propose establishing a Community Hardening Commission within California's Department of Insurance to develop and oversee new wildfire mitigation standards. The independent commission, chaired by the Insurance Commissioner, would create guidelines for home hardening and community-level wildfire protection measures while coordinating with existing state programs.

The seven-member commission, supported by an advisory council of scientific, industry, and local government representatives, would convene quarterly beginning January 2026 to develop standards addressing home hardening regulations, infrastructure improvements, evacuation routes, and vegetation management. The commission must complete these standards by July 2027 and submit recommendations to the Legislature on reducing barriers to implementation.

The Department of Insurance would develop guidelines by July 2027 for a new wildfire data sharing platform to track parcel and community-level fire risks. The platform would aggregate data from state and local agencies while including privacy protections and allowing individuals to opt out. The commission would investigate major wildfire events, analyze the effectiveness of hardening measures, and recommend updates to standards based on lessons learned.

The bill requires the joint powers authority overseeing California's existing wildfire mitigation program to revise its approach according to the new standards, with additional funding subject to legislative appropriation. Local governments participating in commission activities would be eligible for state reimbursement of mandated costs.