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<ns0:Id>20250SB__127099INT</ns0:Id>
<ns0:VersionNum>99</ns0:VersionNum>
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<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-20</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:MeasureType>SB</ns0:MeasureType>
<ns0:MeasureNum>1270</ns0:MeasureNum>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Senator Richardson</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Richardson</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to amend Section 8654.8 of the Government Code, relating to fire safety. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>fire safety</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Wildfire mitigation program: financial assistance to counties.</ns0:Subject>
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<ns0:DigestText>
<html:p>Existing law, contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature, requires the Office of Emergency Services to enter into a joint powers agreement with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop and administer a comprehensive wildfire mitigation program to, among other things, encourage cost-effective structure hardening and retrofitting to create fire-resistant homes, businesses, and public buildings. Existing law requires the joint powers authority to develop eligibility criteria for property owners, community organizations, and local governments who may receive financial assistance under the program.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would require the joint powers authority to provide financial assistance to the 10 counties with the greatest combined risk of wildfire and social vulnerability based on the above-described eligibility criteria, as
provided.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would make related findings and declarations.</html:p>
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<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>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
In 2017, over 1.3 million acres burned due to high-severity wildfires and over 10,000 structures were destroyed. In 2018, over 1.8 million acres burned and over 22,700 structures were destroyed. In the first month of 2025, major wildfires burned more than 50,000 acres.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
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The Eaton and Palisades fires alone destroyed or damaged more than 18,000 structures, including homes passed down from generation to generation, small businesses that began with a thought and became a visible reality, and places of worship across Los Angeles County that served as meeting places for those seeking a connection to their faith and
a message of hope for even better days.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
These events cover a span of the past decade. From Santa Rosa to Paradise to Altadena, Californians across the state have felt the emotional and financial devastation caused by the impact of these wind-driven fires.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Existing law requires the Office of Emergency Services to enter into a joint powers agreement with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to administer a comprehensive wildfire mitigation and assistance program to, among other things, encourage cost-effective structure hardening and retrofitting to create fire-resistant homes, businesses, and public buildings.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The California Wildfire Mitigation Financial Assistance Program (CWMFAP) developed a criteria and scoring methodology to prioritize financial assistance to areas and communities based upon
criteria that include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Area and community vulnerability to wildfire.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
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The impact of future climate risk factors on area and community wildfire vulnerability assessments.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Factors that lead some populations to experience a greater risk to wildfire, adverse health outcomes, or an inhibited ability to respond to a wildfire, including socioeconomic characteristics of the areas or communities that would be protected by financial assistance.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
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The CWMFAP is only accepting applications for financial assistance in specific areas within the following communities:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
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Kelseyville Riviera in Lake County.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Mount Shasta in Siskiyou County.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Ponderosa Hills, Mira Monte, and Sunrise Subdivisions in Tuolumne County.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Whitmore, Lakehead, and Oak Run in Shasta County.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(5)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Weber Creek in El Dorado County.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(6)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Dulzura, Campo, Potrero in San Diego County.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(g)
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Based on the current criteria and scoring methodology to prioritize financial assistance developed by the CWMFAP, this bill proposes to provide home hardening assistance to the top ten counties, which are all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Lake County.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
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Siskiyou County.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
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Tuolumne County.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
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Shasta County.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(5)
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El Dorado County.
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<html:p>
(6)
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San Diego County.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(7)
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Riverside County.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(8)
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Calaveras County.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(9)
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Los Angeles County.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(10)
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Tehama County.
</html:p>
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Section 8654.8 of the
<ns0:DocName>Government Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>8654.8.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The joint powers authority shall develop eligibility criteria for property owners, community organizations, and local governments who may receive financial assistance under the wildfire mitigation program in accordance with this article.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The joint powers authority shall provide financial assistance under the wildfire mitigation program to the ten counties with the greatest combined risk of wildfire and social vulnerability based on the eligibility criteria developed pursuant to subdivision (a), which, as of January 29, 2025, are the Counties of Lake, Siskiyou, Tuolumne, Shasta, El Dorado, San Diego, Riverside, Calaveras, Los Angeles, and Tehama.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
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The joint powers authority may also establish financial assistance limits and matching funding or other recipient contribution requirements, as necessary, to ensure the viability and efficient operation of the wildfire mitigation program and to maximize the program’s impact on reducing wildfire risk in California.
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