Wildfire Prevention

Prohibits local governments from blocking firefighter participation in cancer prevention research studies. Ensures fire departments can provide facility access and equipment for cancer research grant studies. Supports the existing California Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Research Program.

Extends California's wildfire defense program indefinitely to enhance home protection and fire safety assessments. Requires assessors to complete enhanced home ignition zone inspection training by July 2026. Establishes a statewide reporting system to track defensible space compliance and direct enforcement. Authorizes trained volunteers and organizations to conduct fire safety assessments and educate property owners.

Requires property owners to create ember-resistant zones within 5 feet of structures in high fire risk areas. Mandates the State Board of Forestry to adopt comprehensive defensible space regulations by December 2025. Allows emergency adoption of regulations if standard rulemaking would delay implementation. Gives existing structures three years after new buildings to comply with ember-resistant zone requirements.

Allocates 10% of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to support community air quality improvement programs. Provides grants and technical assistance to help disadvantaged communities reduce air pollution. Requires continuous funding for air monitoring, emissions reduction, and community participation initiatives.

Expands oversight of agricultural burning by requiring state agencies to supervise and regulate burning activities. Exempts wildland vegetation management burning from permit requirements when conducted by authorized agencies. Requires development of new safety guidelines and best practices for wildland vegetation management burning.

Extends California's wildfire defense programs for home assessments and education through January 2031. Establishes a statewide reporting system to track property compliance with fire safety requirements. Creates a training program for volunteers to help homeowners meet defensible space requirements. Authorizes qualified entities like conservation corps to conduct fire safety assessments.

Establishes new guidelines for state-funded vegetation management projects that reduce wildfire risk while protecting wildlife. Requires monitoring before, during, and after vegetation treatments to ensure environmental protection. Mandates consultation with botanists and land management experts for project planning. Creates buffer zones around waterways and implements measures to protect rare species and habitats.

Expands wildfire safety zones to include areas with recent major fires or urban fire risks starting January 2025. Requires annual property inspections to verify compliance with defensible space and vegetation management rules by 2027. Mandates cities to update safety plans for areas affected by wildfires and create public education programs. Allows fire agencies to charge fees to cover costs of inspections and wildfire safety program administration.

Establishes a new Community Hardening Commission to develop statewide wildfire mitigation standards and guidelines. Requires quarterly meetings starting January 2026 to create new fire safety standards for homes and communities. Mandates development of a wildfire data sharing platform by July 2027 to track and reduce fire risks. Creates an advisory council of experts from science, insurance, fire safety, and local government to guide standards.

Establishes a new home hardening certification program to reduce wildfire risks by January 2027. Requires battery backup systems for automatic garage door openers in wildfire-prone areas. Creates a monthly advisory committee to oversee wildfire safety programs and share best practices. Authorizes state funding for fire safety training and product certification programs.

Expands city authority to permit western Joshua tree removal for commercial and industrial projects. Establishes a tiered fee system ranging from $150 to $2,500 per tree based on size and location. Requires annual population assessments by desert plant specialists to monitor local tree conservation. Mandates relocation protocols to ensure successful transplantation of affected trees.

Establishes new safety rules for private fire prevention contractors during active fire incidents. Requires approval and backflow prevention devices for private contractors to access public water sources. Mandates clear labeling of private fire equipment as non-emergency without emergency lights or sirens.

Requires state health officials to develop comprehensive wildfire air quality emergency plans by June 2026. Mandates counties to create local emergency response plans with specific protocols for protecting vulnerable residents. Establishes requirements for distributing protective equipment and communicating air quality risks to the public. Allows counties to form regional partnerships for coordinated emergency response planning.

Expands wildfire prevention by allowing more organizations to conduct defensible space assessments. Requires property owners' voluntary assessment data to remain confidential upon request. Creates a standardized training program for entities conducting fire safety assessments. Establishes an annual reporting system to track defensible space compliance across jurisdictions.

Expands local agencies' ability to collect early development fees for emergency-related parks and recreation facilities. Requires payment of development fees at certificate of occupancy unless specific emergency facilities are involved. Exempts affordable housing projects with 49% low-income units from early fee collection requirements. Establishes property liens and tax-like collection methods for unpaid development fees.

Establishes a new process for local agencies to conduct wildfire prevention while protecting endangered species. Requires local agencies to submit wildlife protection plans to the Department of Fish and Wildlife for review. Mandates the Department to approve or deny permits within 45 days of receiving complete applications. Sets minimum five-year terms for approved permits with options for renewal.

Requires state agencies to approve timber harvesting plans within 5 working days instead of 60 days. Mandates detailed documentation of equipment, water usage, and environmental impacts in harvesting plans. Establishes faster waste discharge authorizations for approved timber operations.

Authorizes limited take of protected species for the State Route 37 improvement project in Northern California. Requires comprehensive monitoring and adaptive management plans to minimize impacts on protected wildlife. Mandates public notification and a 30-day comment period before any protected species take is authorized. Requires permit fees and strict conservation measures to protect affected species during construction.

Authorizes 35 annual wildfire fuel reduction projects on public timberlands to streamline environmental reviews. Limits eligible projects to noncommercial operations under 1,500 acres that use public funding. Expires automatically on January 1, 2031 unless renewed by the legislature.

Establishes a new process for local agencies to conduct wildfire prevention activities while protecting endangered species. Exempts fuel reduction projects in fire hazard zones from environmental review requirements. Requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife to review wildfire plans within 90 days. Mandates 5-year minimum permits for approved wildfire prevention activities.

Establishes a comprehensive wildfire risk planning framework to coordinate and evaluate mitigation efforts statewide. Requires creation of ember-resistant zones within 5 feet of structures in high-risk fire areas. Provides grant funding to local agencies for wildfire prevention and home hardening through 2045. Mandates stricter fire protection standards for rebuilding structures destroyed by wildfires after July 2026.

Streamlines renewable energy project approvals by allowing pre-approved takes of at-risk species that become endangered. Requires renewable energy projects to comply with existing permits and species protection requirements. Establishes research partnerships between wildlife officials and energy developers to study species impacts. Mandates a comprehensive legislative report on species protection outcomes by January 2030.

Extends California's wildfire technology research and mitigation programs through 2031. Maintains the Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development's role in testing emerging fire prevention tools. Preserves the state's wildfire mitigation financial assistance program for property owners. Requires annual reporting on program effectiveness and wildfire risk reduction outcomes.

Establishes a state workgroup to study and address toxic heavy metal exposure from wildfires. Requires development of safety guidelines for first responders and communities affected by wildfires. Mandates research into methods to prevent and clean up heavy metal contamination after wildfires. Requires findings to be reported to the Legislature within 3 years of the workgroup's first meeting.

Establishes a statewide data platform to track health impacts of wildfire smoke by July 2028. Creates a new fund to support wildfire smoke and health data collection and management. Requires state agencies to develop protocols for tracking air pollution and health impacts from wildfires. Mandates integration of smoke data from federal, state, and local agencies into a unified system.