California Environmental Quality Act: certified regulatory program: State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection: ember-resistant zone.

Assembly Member Bryan's fire safety legislation directs the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to establish regulations for ember-resistant zones within 5 feet of structures in state responsibility areas and very high fire hazard severity zones.

The regulations must follow the rulemaking framework established by the Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act while being adopted through emergency procedures. The Office of Administrative Law will evaluate these initial regulations as necessary for immediate public safety. The State Board may readopt emergency regulations that match or closely align with previously adopted versions, and these rules remain in effect until the Board revises them. The Natural Resources Agency Secretary must certify the regulations under the California Environmental Quality Act's regulatory program provisions.

The bill creates a specialized process for implementing defensible space requirements, combining established forestry rulemaking procedures with expedited emergency adoption mechanisms. This approach maintains environmental review standards while allowing rapid deployment of fire safety measures. Property owners in designated zones will need to comply with new specifications for maintaining ember-resistant areas immediately adjacent to their structures.