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<ns0:Id>20250AB__203799INT</ns0:Id>
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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-17</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Patterson</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Patterson</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add Article 7 (commencing with 9180) to Chapter 2 of Division 8.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to older adults. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>older adults</ns0:RelatingClause>
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<ns0:Subject>Wildfire Mitigation Aging and Disability Grant Program. </ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>Existing law, the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, establishes the California Department of Aging in the California Health and Human Services Agency and sets forth its mission to provide leadership to the area agencies on aging in developing systems of home- and community-based services that maintain individuals in their own homes or the least restrictive homelike environments.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would establish the Wildfire Mitigation Aging and Disability Grant Program to be administered by the California Department of Aging. Upon an appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes, this bill would award grants, based on specified criteria, to seniors and individuals with disabilities to mitigate against wildfires on properties they own that they would not otherwise be able to protect with existing resources. The bill would require the department
to award grants on a competitive basis and would require applications to contain specified information, including proof of need. The bill would also authorize the grant funding to be used towards the costs associated with hiring contractors or other qualified service providers to perform wildfire mitigation activities.</html:p>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Article 7 (commencing with Section 9180) is added to Chapter 2 of Division 8.5 of the
<ns0:DocName>Welfare and Institutions Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:Num>7.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:LawHeadingText>Wildfire Mitigation Aging and Disability Grant Program </ns0:LawHeadingText>
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<ns0:Num>9180.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
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Fires in California have caused untold harm and suffering.
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(b)
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Fires are especially dangerous to seniors and those with disabilities.
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(c)
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This program is necessary to aid seniors and those with disabilities in protecting themselves and their homes from fires.
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_B73A4F68-3E83-4AB9-B61D-02772724602A">
<ns0:Num>9181.</ns0:Num>
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(a)
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The Wildfire Mitigation Aging and Disability Grant Program is hereby established.
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(b)
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The purpose of this program is to allow seniors and individuals with disabilities to take actions to mitigate against wildfires on properties they own that they would not otherwise be able to take with existing resources.
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_034FDE02-C691-4735-A8EE-5AB723DAF9CA">
<ns0:Num>9182.</ns0:Num>
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(a)
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The Wildfire Mitigation Aging and Disability Grant Program shall be administered by the California Department of Aging.
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(b)
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The department shall award grants on a competitive basis. An applicant shall be eligible for a grant if all of the following criteria are met:
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(1)
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The applicant is a senior citizen or individual with a disability.
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(2)
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The applicant occupies the property as a primary residence.
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(3)
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The applicant owns or lawfully occupies the property.
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(4)
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The property is in a
designated moderate, high, or very high fire hazard severity zone under the CalFire Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps.
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<ns0:Num>9183.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>An application shall include, at minimum, all of the following:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
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A verification that an individual is 65 years of age or older or has a disability as defined under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (Part 2.8 (commencing with Section 12900) of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
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(b)
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Identification of the property and its wildfire risk designation under the CalFire Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps.
</html:p>
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(c)
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A description of proposed mitigation measures.
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(d)
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Proof of need, which may be satisfied with proof of
income.
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_1E869F7E-5502-44A3-90F4-9AA3063A4651">
<ns0:Num>9184.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>Services provided pursuant to this chapter may include, but are not limited to, costs associated with hiring contractors or other qualified service providers to perform wildfire mitigation activities. Grant funding may be used to support any of the following:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Vegetation management and defensible space creation.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Tree trimming or removal of hazardous or dead trees.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Removal and lawful disposal of combustible debris from roofs, gutters, and areas adjacent to structures.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
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Installation of ember-resistant vents or other exterior hardening
measures.
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_75A2C93D-9E74-4765-B051-DC24C4D05037">
<ns0:Num>9185.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>The program provided for under this article shall be implemented only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes.</html:p>
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