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<ns0:Id>20250AB__169999INT</ns0:Id>
<ns0:VersionNum>99</ns0:VersionNum>
<ns0:History>
<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-03</ns0:ActionDate>
</ns0:Action>
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<ns0:LegislativeInfo>
<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
<ns0:SessionNum>0</ns0:SessionNum>
<ns0:MeasureType>AB</ns0:MeasureType>
<ns0:MeasureNum>1699</ns0:MeasureNum>
<ns0:MeasureState>INT</ns0:MeasureState>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Rogers</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR_ORIGINATING">(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Hadwick)</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="COAUTHOR_ORIGINATING">(Coauthors: Assembly Members Caloza, Connolly, Gallagher, and Wallis)</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="COAUTHOR_OPPOSITE">(Coauthors: Senators Arreguín and Grayson)</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Rogers</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Hadwick</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Caloza</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Connolly</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Gallagher</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Wallis</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Arreguín</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Grayson</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
</ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Title> An act to amend Sections 4477, 4493, and 4500 of, to add Sections 4497.3 and 21080.49.1 to, and to repeal Section 4503 of, the Public Resources Code, relating to wildfire, and making an appropriation therefor. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>wildfire, and making an appropriation therefor</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Good Fire Act: Prescribed Fire Liability Pilot Program: burn bosses: California Environmental Quality Act.</ns0:Subject>
</ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:DigestText>
<html:p>Existing law establishes, until January 1, 2028, the Prescribed Fire Liability Pilot Program, to be administered by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, to increase the pace and scale of the use of prescribed fire and cultural burning and to reduce barriers for conducting prescribed fires and cultural burning. Existing law creates the Prescribed Fire Claims Fund in the State Treasury to support coverage for losses from prescribed fires and cultural burning by nonpublic entities, such as cultural fire practitioners, private landowners, and nongovernmental entities. Under existing law, moneys in the fund are under the control of the department, and the department or a contracted third-party administrator is authorized to direct payments for claims from the fund, consistent with specified guidelines adopted by the department. These guidelines include, among other things, (1) a
requirement that an eligible claim relate to either a prescribed fire conducted or supervised by a burn boss, as defined, or a cultural burn conducted or supervised by a cultural fire practitioner, and (2) a requirement that a claim shall not be paid from the fund unless the department reviewed and approved a burn plan before the prescribed fire or cultural burning. Existing law requires, upon order of the Department of Finance, the $20,000,000 appropriated to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection by the Legislature in the Budget Act of 2021 be transferred into the fund, and provides that all moneys deposited or transferred into the fund be continuously appropriated to the department for these purposes.</html:p>
<html:p>By Executive Order N-35-25, Governor Gavin Newsom suspended the limitation on public and governmental agencies enrolling in the Prescribed Fire Liability Pilot Program to the extent that the limitation would prohibit resource conservation districts and
volunteer fire departments or districts from such enrollment.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would establish the Good Fire Act, which would indefinitely extend the Prescribed Fire Liability Program. The bill would also expand program eligibility by changing the entities who may receive coverage for losses from prescribed fires and cultural burning from nonpublic entities to individuals and entities other than the department or the federal government, as provided. By extending the term of a continuous appropriation and authorizing the expenditure of continuously appropriated funds for new purposes, the bill would make an appropriation.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would eliminate the requirement for department approval for a plan reviewed and approved by a burn boss. The bill would also require the guidelines to include methods for prioritizing broadcast burns and burns by non-public individuals or entities or California Native American tribes in the event the
fund is oversubscribed.</html:p>
<html:p>Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal, with the involvement of the Statewide Training and Education Advisory Committee, to develop a curriculum for, or amend into an existing curriculum, a certification program for burn bosses who possess authority to engage in a prescribed burning operation and to enter into the necessary contracts related to a prescribed burning operation. Existing law requires this curriculum to provide for the initial certification as well as the continuing education of burn bosses. Under existing law, specified civil liability protections and eligibility for claims from the Prescribed Fire Claims Fund extend to prescribed burns that, among other things, are reviewed and approved by a burn boss certified pursuant to these provisions, as provided.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would require, as part of the continuing education of burn bosses, the State Fire Marshal to require recertification
no sooner than every 3 years. The bill would also require the department, in consultation with the Statewide Training and Education Advisory Committee, to consider methods to increase the pool of available instructors for the certification program, including the use of non-department instructors. The bill would require the department to develop a mechanism to allow specified individuals to be designated as a burn boss. The bill would authorize these individuals certified pursuant to this process to use the above-described recertification process to maintain currency.</html:p>
<html:p>Existing law authorizes an entity that owns or controls brush-covered land, forest lands, woodland, grassland, shrubland, or a combination of those types of land within a state responsibility area to apply to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for permission to use prescribed burning for certain public purposes. Existing law requires the department, upon receipt of an application, to inspect
the land in company with the applicant to determine whether a permit shall be granted, as provided.</html:p>
<html:p>By Executive Order N-35-25, Governor Gavin Newsom suspended the above-described requirement that the department conduct a site visit or inspection before issuing a state burn permit for projects undertaken by burn bosses or cultural fire practitioners.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would authorize the department to waive the inspection requirement or modify the standard precautions for an application submitted by specified individuals.</html:p>
<html:p>The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that
effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment.</html:p>
<html:p>Existing law exempts from CEQA specified wildfire risk reduction projects, including, among other projects, projects consisting of a prescribed fire or fuel reduction to reduce wildfire risk by reestablishing the fire return interval appropriate to the ecosystem for biodiversity or other benefits, excluding projects located on coastal sage scrub habitat or any other sensitive habitat.</html:p>
<html:p>By Executive Order N-35-25, Governor Gavin Newsom suspended the requirements of CEQA as applied to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to the extent necessary for the department to assist local agencies
and beneficial fire practitioners to complete beneficial fire projects that limit dangerous wildfire conditions to the greatest extent feasible.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would exempt from CEQA those actions taken by the department to assist in the implementation of prescribed fire or cultural burning projects that do not otherwise require compliance with CEQA.</html:p>
<html:p>Existing law establishes various grant programs for purposes of wildfire prevention.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would prohibit a state agency, department, board, or commission that has awarded grant funds or other sources of funding to an awardee, who is paying individuals engaged in the preparation for or implementation of beneficial fire projects from those funds, from restricting overtime or double rates of pay in the disbursement of those funds, as provided.</html:p>
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<ns0:VoteRequired>TWO_THIRDS</ns0:VoteRequired>
<ns0:Appropriation>YES</ns0:Appropriation>
<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
<ns0:LocalProgram>NO</ns0:LocalProgram>
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<ns0:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
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<ns0:Urgency>NO</ns0:Urgency>
<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
<ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>NO</ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>
<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
<ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>NO</ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>
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</ns0:Description>
<ns0:Bill id="bill">
<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_CFA745CB-0CAA-4D8E-9BB0-FBB2C49BCFA9">
<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>This act shall be known, and may be cited as, the Good Fire Act.</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:BillSection>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_57E83387-63E6-4B59-B9D4-493DF80477D7">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
California has taken extraordinary actions to protect residents from catastrophic wildfires in recent years because effective, ecologically appropriate management of public and private lands across our state is critical to limiting dangerous wildfire conditions that threaten life and property and ensuring healthy, resilient ecosystems.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
California’s landscapes evolved with both natural ignitions and indigenous use of fire, and past policies that attempted to eradicate wildfires from these landscapes resulted in unintended adverse consequences, including overly dense forests and conditions that exacerbate risks of
ignitions becoming large, dangerous fires.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Beneficial fire includes practices known as “cultural fire,” “cultural burning,” “prescribed fire,” “prescribed burning,” “good fire,” and “managed fire,” which are practices that enable many types of landscapes to benefit from fire to protect communities and safeguard natural and cultural resources.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Beneficial fire has a proven track record of restoring the health of California’s fire-adapted landscapes and limiting the intensity and severity of subsequent wildfires, thereby reducing the risk of large, catastrophic wildfires.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
California’s use of beneficial fire has expanded in recent years, and beneficial fire treatments doubled between 2021 and 2024 thanks to tribal, state, federal, local, and nonprofit partners. To reach state goals for both initial treatment
and maintenance, however, significantly more beneficial fire is needed.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
In light of the forest conditions and risk of catastrophic fires, it is critical that the state take more action to further expedite and expand beneficial fire projects, where appropriate, to enable practitioners to more effectively implement safe and effective beneficial fire projects.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:BillSection>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_0E9BC8A6-D5E8-4114-B01C-D7DCB84154D4">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 3.</ns0:Num>
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Section 4477 of the
<ns0:DocName>Public Resources Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_8B98CCC5-6A64-462D-8D1E-6B71D193CF34">
<ns0:Num>4477.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_1C04B6E1-D4E4-4C78-A8E4-F7ADC0DCAC50">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The State Fire Marshal, with the involvement of the Statewide Training and Education Advisory Committee, shall develop a curriculum for, or amend into an existing curriculum, a certification program for burn bosses, who, pursuant to Section 4476, possess authority to engage in a prescribed burning operation and to enter into the necessary contracts related to a prescribed burning operation. The curriculum shall provide for the initial certification as well as the continuing education of burn bosses. As part of the continuing education of burn bosses, the State Fire Marshal shall require recertification no sooner than every three years. The department shall consider methods to increase the pool of available instructors for the certification
program, including the use of nondepartment instructors. It is the intent of the Legislature that this curriculum become a regular part of the training of firefighters conducted by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and all other appropriate accredited training providers.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
In addition to the curriculum and certification program developed pursuant to subdivision (a), the department shall, in consultation with the Statewide Training and Education Advisory Committee, develop a mechanism to allow individuals certified by the department as a prescribed fire incident commander or equivalent, individuals qualified for the National Wildfire Coordinating Group position title of “Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 1” or “Prescribed
Fire Burn Boss Type 2” or equivalent, or individuals certified as prescribed fire managers or similar positions by other states pursuant to a certification program that is substantially similar to the program described in subdivision (a) to be designated as a state-certified burn boss pursuant to subdivision (a). Once certified, an individual may use the recertification process provided in subdivision (a) to maintain currency.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
In addition to the curriculum and certification program developed pursuant to subdivision (a), the
department shall develop a training program for prescribed fire users to certify professionals in any agency or organization as burn bosses. The department shall certify these individuals to a common standard. It is the intent of the Legislature that the department use its discretion to ensure that burn bosses are thoroughly qualified to engage in prescribed burning operations prior to issuing certifications.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
On or before July 1, 2023, the State Fire Marshal, with the involvement of the Statewide Training and Education Advisory Committee, in consultation with the California Conservation Corps, the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity program, a statewide
intertribal organization or indigenous stewardship network, and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, shall develop a proposal to establish a prescribed fire training center. In developing the proposal, the State Fire Marshal shall do all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Collaborate with the University of California Cooperative Extension, fire safe councils, relevant California State Universities, California Native American tribes, tribal organizations, cultural fire practitioners, resource conservation districts, and other relevant stakeholders on the development of the proposal.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Identify potential funding sources for the proposal, including, but not limited to, federal funds, and consider the proposal’s eligibility for those funding sources.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Identify potential locations for a prescribed fire training center.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Identify opportunities for satellite learning landscapes to support the work of the prescribed fire training center.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(5)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Ensure that cultural fire practitioners are engaged in the development and ongoing leadership of the prescribed fire training center.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
On or before January 1, 2023, the State Fire Marshal shall post and update on its internet website the number of burn bosses with an active burn boss certification.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Adherence to the best practices outlined in the curriculum and certification process established pursuant to this section shall constitute prima facie evidence of due diligence.
</html:p>
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<ns0:BillSection id="id_82F16036-8052-49EE-BC1C-7E64B5DF1AD2">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 4.</ns0:Num>
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Section 4493 of the
<ns0:DocName>Public Resources Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Fragment>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_9659AB68-1D39-4E89-A3E2-FC5F09E91FC5">
<ns0:Num>4493.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_B36C2C8A-CB3A-4B19-AA96-9760B6076EE6">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Upon receipt of an application, the department shall inspect the land in company with the applicant to determine whether a permit shall be granted, shall prescribe the manner in which the site for the prescribed burning shall be prepared, and shall require any precautions to be taken by the applicant as may be considered reasonable to prevent damage to the property of others by reason of the burning. The precautions shall, if deemed necessary, include the advance preparation of firebreaks and the firefighting equipment and personnel desirable to conduct the prescribed burning.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the department may waive the inspection requirement or modify the standard precautions described in paragraph (1) for an application submitted by any of the following individuals:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(A)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A person certified pursuant to Section 4477 to conduct prescribed burning operations and to enter into contracts related to prescribed burning operations.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(B)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A person qualified for the National Wildfire Coordinating Group position title of “Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 1” or “Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2.”
</html:p>
<html:p>
(C)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A cultural fire practitioner, as defined in Section 3333.8 of the Civil Code.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(D)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Other parties as determined by the director.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
In issuing the permit, the department shall consider the availability of nondepartmental contingency resources when determining whether to require department contingency resources as part of the required precautions.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The department shall, to the extent feasible, employ burn suspensions at the unit level, and not at the state or regional level, to not unreasonably restrict prescribed burning operations that are within prescription.
</html:p>
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 5.</ns0:Num>
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Section 4497.3 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Public Resources Code</ns0:DocName>
,
<ns0:Positioning>immediately following Section 4497.2</ns0:Positioning>
, to read:
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<ns0:Fragment>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_7AE69AAE-E719-4DB0-9EE1-711EB6C7FB7F">
<ns0:Num>4497.3.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A state agency, department, board, or commission that has awarded grant funds or other sources of funds to an awardee, who is paying individuals engaged in the preparation for or implementation of beneficial fire projects from those funds, shall not, in the disbursement of the award, restrict payment covering the cost of providing overtime or double rates of pay unless that restriction is required by the applicable statute establishing the funding.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The restriction in subdivision (a) shall apply to, but not be limited to, the department’s Forest Health Program.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
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</ns0:LawSection>
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<ns0:BillSection id="id_1113D17A-C22B-4E37-8554-82FD3EB0D169">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 6.</ns0:Num>
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Section 4500 of the
<ns0:DocName>Public Resources Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_B159442C-EAAE-4FC3-BE7D-C02292A3CEE3">
<ns0:Num>4500.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Burn boss” means either of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(A)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A person certified pursuant to Section 4477 to conduct prescribed burning operations and to enter into contracts related to prescribed burning operations.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(B)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A person who possesses current qualification for the National Wildfire Coordinating Group position title of “Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 1” or
“Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2.”
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Cultural burn” has the same meaning as set forth in Section 3333.8 of the Civil Code.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Cultural fire practitioner” has the same meaning as set forth in Section 3333.8 of the Civil Code.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Fund” means the Prescribed Fire Claims Fund established pursuant to subdivision (c).
</html:p>
<html:p>
(5)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Program” means the Prescribed Fire Liability Pilot Program established pursuant to subdivision (b).
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Prescribed Fire Liability Pilot Program is hereby established, to be administered by the department, to increase the pace and scale of the use of prescribed fire and cultural burning and to reduce barriers for conducting prescribed fires and cultural burning.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
(1)
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(A)
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The Prescribed Fire Claims Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury to support coverage for losses from prescribed fires and cultural burning led by individuals and entities other than the department or the federal government. The moneys in the fund shall be under the control of the department, and the department, or the third-party administrator with whom the department contracts pursuant to subdivision (d), is authorized to direct payments for claims from the fund, consistent with this section and the guidelines adopted by the department pursuant to subdivision (e).
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(B)
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Upon order of the Department of Finance, the amount in Item 3540-102-0001 of the Budget Act of 2021 (Chapter 240 of the Statutes of 2021) shall be transferred into the fund.
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(C)
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Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code or any other law, all moneys deposited or transferred into the fund, including pursuant to subparagraph (B), shall be continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal years, to the department for purposes of this section.
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(2)
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(A)
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Except as provided in subparagraph (B), notwithstanding any other law, the Controller may use moneys in the fund for cash flow loans to the General Fund as provided in Sections 16310 and 16381 of the Government Code. Interest shall be paid on all moneys loaned to the General Fund and shall be computed at a rate determined by the Pooled
Money Investment Board to be the current earning rate of the fund.
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<html:p>
(B)
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This paragraph does not authorize any transfer that would interfere with the department’s ability to carry out the purposes of this section.
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<html:p>
(d)
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(1)
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The department may contract with any entity, including another state agency, to serve as a third-party administrator to administer or to assist in administering the fund, including, but not limited to, managing and operating the fund, adjusting claims made to the fund, and paying claims from the fund. Subject to prior written approval by the Insurance Commissioner pursuant to Section 1063.19 of the Insurance Code, the California Insurance Guarantee Association may serve as a third-party administrator of the fund. Participation by the California Insurance Guarantee Association shall be governed by the Insurance Commissioner’s authority over its
Plan of Operation, pursuant to Article 14.2 (commencing with Section 1063) of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 1 of the Insurance Code.
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(2)
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A third-party administrator with whom the department contracts pursuant to this subdivision, including the California Insurance Guarantee Association, is prohibited from settling or adjusting any claims to the fund while seeking to subrogate against the fund.
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(3)
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(A)
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Notwithstanding any other law, advertising, competitive bidding, and protest requirements, and the requirement for Department of General Services approval, do not apply to a contract of no more than three years entered into by the department in the 2022–2023 fiscal year with a third-party administrator pursuant to this subdivision. However, subsequent contracts shall be awarded in accordance with applicable state laws and policies.
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<html:p>
(B)
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In the event that a third-party administrator with whom the department contracts with pursuant to this subdivision, including the California Insurance Guarantee Association, is prohibited by law from settling or adjusting any claims to the fund as a result of seeking to subrogate against the fund, the department may award a contract to a new third-party administrator for the limited purpose of settling and adjusting those claims only and that contract shall not be subject to existing advertising, competitive bidding, and protest requirements, or the requirement for Department of General Services approval.
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<html:p>
(e)
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The department shall collaborate with other relevant state agencies, cultural fire practitioners, and burn bosses to establish guidelines governing the program and the administration of the fund, including the payment of claims from the fund. The guidelines shall include, at
a minimum, all of the following requirements:
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<html:p>
(1)
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An eligible claim shall relate to either of the following:
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(A)
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A prescribed fire conducted or supervised by a burn boss.
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(B)
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A cultural burn conducted or supervised by a cultural fire practitioner.
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(2)
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A claim shall not be paid from the fund unless, at a minimum, all of the following conditions are met:
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<html:p>
(A)
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(i)
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The department reviewed and approved a burn plan before the prescribed fire or cultural burning.
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(ii)
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Notwithstanding clause (i), a department approval shall not be required for a plan reviewed and approved by a burn boss.
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<html:p>
(B)
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A burn permit, if required, and all other permits required to conduct the prescribed fire or cultural burn were obtained.
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<html:p>
(C)
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The department determines that the prescribed fire or cultural burn complied with, as applicable, the terms and conditions of all burn plans, burn permits, and other permits required to conduct the prescribed fire or cultural burn.
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<html:p>
(3)
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The maximum amount the fund shall pay for losses arising from any one prescribed fire or cultural burn event is two million dollars ($2,000,000). For purposes of this paragraph, “losses arising from any one prescribed fire or cultural burn event” means
all activities conducted pursuant to any one burn plan and, if required, burn permit.
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(4)
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Methods for prioritizing broadcast burns and burns by nonpublic individuals or entities or California Native American tribes in the event the fund is oversubscribed.
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<html:p>
(f)
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The department shall post the guidelines established pursuant to subdivision (e) on its internet website.
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<html:p>
(g)
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Notwithstanding any other law, the state’s liability for all claims for covered losses established pursuant to this section and the guidelines developed by the department pursuant to subdivision (e) shall be limited as described in this section and to the amount in the fund.
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<html:p>
(h)
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The
Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) does not apply to the guidelines developed by the department pursuant to subdivision (e) and used by the department or a third-party administrator with whom the department contracts pursuant to subdivision (d) to implement the program and to administer the fund.
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<html:p>
(i)
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A person engaging with a Native American tribe, tribal organization, or cultural fire practitioner pursuant to this article shall respect tribal sovereignty, customs, and culture.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 7.</ns0:Num>
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Section 4503 of the
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Section 21080.49.1 is added to the
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<ns0:Num>21080.49.1.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>This division does not apply to actions taken by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to assist in the implementation of prescribed fire or cultural burning projects that do not otherwise require compliance with this division.</html:p>
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