Existing law, contingent upon an appropriation, 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 State Fire Marshal and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to identify activities that are eligible for financial assistance under the program and requires the joint powers authority to develop criteria and a scoring methodology to prioritize financial assistance provided through the program based on specific factors, as provided. Existing law requires the joint powers authority, no later than July 1, 2028, to submit a report to the Legislature regarding the implementation of the wildfire mitigation financial assistance program, as provided.

This bill would instead require the joint powers authority to submit the report to the Legislature regarding the implementation of the wildfire mitigation financial assistance program no later than January 1, 2028.