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Measure

AB 1380

Authors

Elhawary

Subject

Wildland firefighters: Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program.

Relating To

relating to wildfires.

Title

An act to add Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 4960) to Part 4 of Division 4 of the Public Resources Code, relating to wildfires.

Last Action Dt

2025-05-23

State

Amended Assembly

Status

In Committee Process

Active?

Vote Required

Majority

Appropriation

Fiscal Committee

Yes

Local Program

Substantive Changes

None

Urgency

Tax Levy

Leginfo Link

Bill

Actions

2025-08-29		In committee: Held under submission.
2025-08-18		In committee: Referred to suspense file.
2025-07-15		From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-06-24		From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-06-11		Referred to Coms. on N.R. & W. and PUB. S.
2025-06-03		In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-06-02		Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 1924.)
2025-05-27		Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23		Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 51. Noes 16. Page 1644.)
2025-05-23		From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (May 23).
2025-05-23		Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
2025-05-14		In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2025-04-30		From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-22		From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 9. Noes 4.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-04-21		Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
2025-04-10		From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-25		Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
2025-03-24		From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-24		Referred to Coms. on NAT. RES. and PUB. S.
2025-02-24		Read first time.
2025-02-22		From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
2025-02-21		Introduced. To print.

Keywords

Tags

Versions

Amended Assembly		2025-05-23
Amended Assembly		2025-04-10
Amended Assembly		2025-03-24
Introduced		2025-02-21

Last Version Text

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		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Elhawary</ns0:AuthorText>
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		<ns0:Title> An act to add Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 4960) to Part 4 of Division 4 of the Public Resources Code, relating to wildfires.</ns0:Title>
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			<ns0:Subject>Wildland firefighters: Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program.</ns0:Subject>
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			<html:p>Existing law establishes in the Natural Resources Agency the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and requires the department to be responsible for, among other things, fire protection and prevention, as provided. </html:p>
			<html:p>Existing law establishes the California Conservation Camp program for the purpose of having incarcerated persons work on projects supervised by the department. Existing law requires the department to utilize incarcerated persons assigned to conservation camps in performing fire prevention, fire control, and other work at the department. </html:p>
			<html:p>This bill would require the department to, in partnership with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the California Conservation Camp program, implement a standardized process to ensure that all individuals who complete the
			 department’s firefighting training program (FFT program) while incarcerated receive official written certification before their release, as specified.</html:p>
			<html:p>The bill would require the department to, on or before January 1, 2027, award hiring preference under Category Placement 2 to qualified
			 formerly incarcerated individuals who apply for positions with the department. </html:p>
			<html:p>The bill would also require the department to track the number of incarcerated individuals who have completed the FFT program and are set to be released within 90 days, develop and implement policies and procedures to track and report the outcomes of the Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program, and report annually to the Legislature on the implementation and effectiveness of the program, as provided.</html:p>
			<html:p>The bill would make these provisions operative only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its
			 purposes, as provided.</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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				Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 4960) is added to Part 4 of Division 4 of the 
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				, to read:
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									(a)
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									(1)
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									Within six months from the date this chapter becomes operative, as described in subdivision (g), the department shall, in partnership with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the California Conservation Camp program, implement a standardized process to ensure that all individuals who successfully complete the department’s firefighting training program (FFT program) while incarcerated receive official written certification before their release from prison.
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									(2)
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									The official written certification pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include, but is not limited to, the following certifications: 
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									(A)
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									CAL-FIRE Forestry Training.
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									(B)
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									S-190 Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior.
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									(b)
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									On or before January 1, 2027, the department shall award hiring preference under Category Placement 2 to qualified formerly incarcerated individuals who apply for positions with the department.
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									(c)
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									Nothing in this section shall preclude the department from placing a formerly incarcerated person in a higher category for hiring based on their level of training, certification, employment history, or other factors.
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									(d)
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									The department shall, in partnership with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, track the number of incarcerated individuals who have completed the FFT program and are set to be released from prison within
						  90 days.
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									(e)
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									Nothing in this section shall preclude other state agencies with wildland management responsibilities from establishing similar pathways to support wildfire prevention, mitigation, and response efforts with priority hiring reserved for formerly incarcerated individuals who completed the FFT program.
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									(f)
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									The department shall develop and implement policies and procedures to track and report the outcomes of this chapter, including, but not limited to, the number of participants hired, retention rates, and career advancement opportunities.
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									(g)
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									(1)
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									For three years from the date this chapter becomes operative, as described in subdivision (h), the department shall submit an annual report to
						  the Legislature on the implementation and effectiveness of this chapter, including recommendations for improvement. 
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									(2)
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									A report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code. 
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									(h)
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									This chapter shall become operative only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or any other statute.
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									(i)
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									For the purposes of this section, “qualified formerly incarcerated individual” means any formerly incarcerated individual who completed the FFT program and has a valid certification pursuant to subdivision (a).
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Last Version Text Digest

Existing law establishes in the Natural Resources Agency the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and requires the department to be responsible for, among other things, fire protection and prevention, as provided. Existing law establishes the California Conservation Camp program for the purpose of having incarcerated persons work on projects supervised by the department. Existing law requires the department to utilize incarcerated persons assigned to conservation camps in performing fire prevention, fire control, and other work at the department. This bill would require the department to, in partnership with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the California Conservation Camp program, implement a standardized process to ensure that all individuals who complete the department’s firefighting training program (FFT program) while incarcerated receive official written certification before their release, as specified. The bill would require the department to, on or before January 1, 2027, award hiring preference under Category Placement 2 to qualified formerly incarcerated individuals who apply for positions with the department. The bill would also require the department to track the number of incarcerated individuals who have completed the FFT program and are set to be released within 90 days, develop and implement policies and procedures to track and report the outcomes of the Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program, and report annually to the Legislature on the implementation and effectiveness of the program, as provided. The bill would make these provisions operative only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes, as provided.