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<ns0:Id>20250SB__107999INT</ns0:Id>
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<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-13</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:MeasureNum>1079</ns0:MeasureNum>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Senator Stern</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR_ORIGINATING">(Principal coauthors: Senators Allen and Becker)</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="COAUTHOR_OPPOSITE">(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bennett, Irwin, Petrie-Norris, and Rogers)</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Stern</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Allen</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Becker</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Bennett</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Irwin</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Petrie-Norris</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Rogers</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add and repeal Article 4 (commencing with Section 785) of Chapter 2.5 of Division 1 of the Public Resources Code, relating to fire prevention. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>fire prevention</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Department of Forestry and Fire Protection: Fire Innovation Unit. </ns0:Subject>
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<ns0:DigestText>
<html:p>Existing law establishes the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and establishes various programs for the prevention and reduction of wildfires. </html:p>
<html:p>This bill would establish the Fire Innovation Unit within the department, under the direction of a Deputy Director of Wildfire Innovation, to serve as the department’s innovation arm and the state’s principal hub for wildfire technology research, coordination, procurement, and deployment. The bill would require the unit to consist of the Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development, the Innovation, Outreach and Coordination Program, and the Rapid Acquisition and Deployment Program, as provided. The bill would authorize the unit to establish and administer a grant program to fund early-stage, mature, or dual-use technology projects that enhance wildfire readiness, mitigation, or response.
The bill would also authorize the unit to (1) administer or monitor pilot, prototype, or demonstration projects to evaluate, mature, and validate wildfire-related technologies, (2) collaborate with public and private educational and research institutions on wildfire technology and innovation, (3) establish testbeds to test or evaluate emerging technologies, and (4) provide technical assistance to local, state, federal, and international fire agencies to facilitate deployment of wildfire-related technologies. </html:p>
<html:p>This bill would require the department to submit an annual report to the Governor and the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature summarizing certain information related to the unit, including, among other things, the technologies and projects evaluated, tested, or deployed. The bill would require the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection to implement these provisions only upon appropriation. The bill would repeal these provisions on
January 1, 2033. </html:p>
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<ns0:DigestKey>
<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
<ns0:LocalProgram>NO</ns0:LocalProgram>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_437573A9-70B9-426C-BB2B-29B149A2F2F3">
<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The increasing frequency, severity, and cost of wildfires in California threaten lives, communities, infrastructure, economies, and ecosystems.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
New wildfire technologies and innovations are rapidly emerging as critical tools to improve wildfire prediction, detection, modeling, suppression, community risk reduction, and land management.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The pace of innovation moves more rapidly than current state procurement processes.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
California’s firefighters and land managers require
streamlined access to these innovations and technologies that will enhance early detection, fast fire suppression, decision support tools, community risk reduction, ecosystem and landscape scale resilience, and ignition reduction to more effectively address the wildfire crisis.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Although the Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development was established to evaluate new tools, the state still lacks a unified structure to identify firefighter needs, source technologies, rapidly prototype solutions, and move the most successful technologies from pilot to scale through flexible procurement mechanisms.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A Fire Innovation Unit within the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is therefore necessary to close the innovation gap by coordinating with end users of wildfire technology, connecting technological solutions with operational needs, accelerating pilot-to-scale
adoption, and enhancing collaboration across government, educational institutions, industry, and philanthropy.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:BillSection>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_2D7625F3-23BB-40A8-A195-2E807D1AF9BD">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Article 4 (commencing with Section 785) is added to Chapter 2.5 of Division 1 of the
<ns0:DocName>Public Resources Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:LawHeading id="id_509096A1-0ACC-4CCA-BE39-23A18338CF5D" type="ARTICLE">
<ns0:Num>4.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawHeadingVersion id="id_FF8D3891-6F17-4A14-BC86-EA1FFA56775E">
<ns0:LawHeadingText>Fire Innovation Unit</ns0:LawHeadingText>
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_FE9D4517-BDD6-4DBF-92A2-43C95049086E">
<ns0:Num>785.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
There is hereby established within the department a Fire Innovation Unit (FIU), under the direction of a Deputy Director of Wildfire Innovation who shall report to the director.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The FIU shall serve as the department’s innovation arm and as the state’s principal hub for wildfire technology research, coordination, procurement, and deployment.
</html:p>
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</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_64F6DA62-C452-4CE9-8016-16AE7D63F98C">
<ns0:Num>786.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_6945DC30-F7D7-4F42-8A8F-445624B6DCBC">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The FIU shall consist of the Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development, the Innovation, Outreach, and Coordination Program, and the Rapid Acquisition and Deployment Program.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development shall do all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Perform scientific and technical evaluations of emerging wildfire technologies.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Conduct and participate in laboratory and field tests of wildfire technologies within the department and in partnership with local, state, tribal, federal, and international fire agencies.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Document operational and technical results of laboratory, field, and operational evaluations of wildfire technologies.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Issue recommendations on wildfire technologies regarding adoption and performance standards.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Innovation, Outreach, and Coordination Program shall do all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Coordinate with end users across local, state, tribal, federal, and international fire agencies.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Identify innovation gaps.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Serve as a liaison between technologists and frontline personnel.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Oversee collaborative development efforts between the department and technology developers.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(5)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Implement the Wildfire Innovation Grant Program pursuant to Section 788.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(6)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Collaborate with public and private educational and research institutions.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(7)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Coordinate demonstration events in established testbeds.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(8)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Provide the requisite firefighting expertise necessary for field trials in operational environments.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Rapid Acquisition and Deployment Program may do all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Pilot and scale wildfire technologies through use of flexible contracting authorities pursuant to this article.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Manage the Wildfire Innovation Grant Program
pursuant to Section 788.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Enter into agreements with local governments, state and federal agencies, tribes, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, utilities, public and private educational institutions, and private companies for purposes of this article.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Ensure that all projects carried out pursuant to this article include clear objectives, performance metrics, and audit provisions.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_A73B4483-04DF-4DBF-9BC8-064479FD4BB4">
<ns0:Num>787.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_B1D2F9FF-F1BC-498E-AF29-89FBEC5668E9">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>The FIU may enter into memoranda of understanding, cooperative research and development agreements, contracts, and grant agreements with public agencies, private sector entities, nonprofit organizations, educational and research institutions, tribal governments, and philanthropic partners for purposes of this article.</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_B3A56811-560F-4513-8D5F-40DB5502CD52">
<ns0:Num>788.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_5BF09EE5-3DC8-4F25-A722-4732FC6925C7">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The FIU may establish and administer a Wildfire Innovation Grant Program. In administering the grant program, the FIU may issue solicitations, conduct a merit-based award process, and oversee grant performance. The grant program may fund early-stage, mature, or dual-use technology projects that enhance wildfire readiness, mitigation, or response.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
All grants awarded pursuant to the Wildfire Innovation Grant Program shall align with statewide wildfire resilience goals and include clear metrics for success that are informed by end-user input.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_A43552F7-40A3-4F4F-BAA9-895426BA30E9">
<ns0:Num>789.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_4085F1A3-D3CA-409E-9712-88D7615D7FB6">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The FIU may administer or monitor pilot, prototype, or demonstration projects involving public agencies, private technology companies, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, tribal governments, and philanthropic partners to evaluate, mature, and validate wildfire-related technologies.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
If the FIU administers or monitors a pilot, prototype, or demonstration project pursuant to subdivision (a), the FIU shall consider if the wildfire-related technology meets the criteria for formal validation. The FIU shall establish technical and operational criteria for formal validation.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The FIU may award a technology vendor that completes an
FIU-administered or FIU-monitored pilot, prototype, or demonstration project and receives a formal validation a follow-on contract for operational fielding without a separate competitive solicitation process, if the scope of the follow-on contract is substantially similar to the wildfire-related technology that received a formal validation.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
For purposes of paragraph (1), “substantially similar” means that the follow-on award is limited to the same use case, operational context, and performance characteristics that were evaluated during the pilot, prototype, or demonstration project pursuant to subdivision (a).
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The FIU may use flexible contracting authorities to acquire proven technologies for pilot, prototype, and demonstration projects pursuant to subdivision (a) and to award follow-on contracts pursuant to subdivision (c) to support pilot-to-scale
transitions.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_0AF44C71-0D90-412B-A4F3-CEA4C3DADD27">
<ns0:Num>790.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_F654264A-C70E-41F1-818E-CC7A40374A3F">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The FIU may collaborate with public and private educational and research institutions on wildfire technology and innovation.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The FIU may enter into partnerships, memoranda of understanding, or cooperative research agreements with the University of California, the California State University, community colleges, independent nonprofit institutions of higher education, and other accredited research centers to support wildfire technology and innovation.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The FIU may provide technical expertise, operational data, field testing environments, and appropriated funding to ensure the technologies developed in the collaborations are transitioned into wildfire operations.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_19FEA2E2-A9CD-4E97-8F51-78CDB0F608A8">
<ns0:Num>791.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_400B0CAA-AC9D-462C-8E82-2811725481B7">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>The FIU may establish testbeds to test or evaluate emerging technologies. The FIU shall establish or designate testbeds where technologies can be safely deployed and evaluated under real-world conditions.</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_962211E2-A543-4288-9295-573C19AD13B9">
<ns0:Num>792.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_A502F81D-95ED-4841-B064-88002A5D76F8">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>The FIU may provide technical assistance to local, state, federal, and international fire agencies to facilitate deployment of wildfire-related technologies.</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_DE278778-B9ED-4EBD-AC44-B5FFAC4ABBC0">
<ns0:Num>793.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_CFC3F64E-900D-4AEB-9501-3DFBC932BB5C">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Participation by a private entity in any FIU-authorized pilot, prototype, testing, demonstration, or research activity pursuant to this article shall not by itself constitute a conflict of interest, create an unfair competitive advantage, be considered a gift of public funds, or disqualify the private entity from any simultaneous or subsequent procurement, solicitation, or contracting opportunity with the state or a local agency.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Information, data, or predecisional materials exchanged during activities conducted pursuant to this article shall be treated as nonprocurement sensitive and shall not be used as a basis to exclude or disadvantage any participant in future competitive procurement.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_E0687964-126E-433D-BEBF-980E4CDB7560">
<ns0:Num>794.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_B457F7FE-E7D1-46F1-BA97-2B52D8CDCAD4">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>On or before January 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, the department shall submit to the Governor and the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, a report summarizing all of the following information:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Technologies and projects evaluated, tested, or deployed under the FIU.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Results and findings regarding cost-effectiveness and operational performance of the FIU.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Partnerships and funding sources leveraged to support innovation activities pursuant to this article.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_08AF9B7C-21D7-400F-84A9-EE8F071387CF">
<ns0:Num>795.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_61901B22-8805-443E-B061-D78DD81F25FC">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The director shall implement this article only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The department may reorganize existing positions and resources to fulfill the purposes of this article.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_75AF3198-FA00-4F6D-AA1D-C2B71486CA6D">
<ns0:Num>796.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_BBDEFDD6-CA43-4D3C-9B6C-285BB65CAEA5">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>This article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2033, and as of that date is repealed.</html:p>
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