AB-1531 • 2026

Office of Emergency Services: comprehensive wildfire mitigation program.

Elections

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Committee on Emergency Management (A) - (Assembly Members Ransom (Chair), Hadwick (Vice Chair), Bains, Calderon, and DeMaio)
Last action: 2025-10-01
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 204, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how the addition of the Department of Insurance will impact existing board members or their roles in wildfire prevention efforts.

Comprehensive Wildfire Mitigation Program

This law requires adding the Department of Insurance as a non-voting member to the California Wildfire Mitigation Program Board by July 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

Adds the Department of Insurance as an ex officio (by position) and nonvoting member to the California Wildfire Mitigation Program Board by July 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

California Wildfire Mitigation Program Board
Department of Insurance

Terms To Know

ex officio: A member who is part of a group because of their position, not by election or appointment.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how the Department of Insurance will contribute beyond being a non-voting member.
It is unclear what new strategies or improvements this change might bring to wildfire prevention efforts.

Bill History

2025-10-01 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 204, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-01 California Legislative Information
Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-22 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
2025-09-10 California Legislative Information
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3185.).
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2626.).
2025-09-04 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
From special consent calendar.
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Ordered to special consent calendar.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).
2025-08-18 California Legislative Information
In committee: Referred to suspense file.
2025-07-14 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-10 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 8).
2025-06-24 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on N.R. & W. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.
2025-06-04 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on G.O. and N.R. & W.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 71. Noes 0. Page 1665.)
2025-05-15 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
2025-05-14 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).
2025-04-30 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on INS. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 28). Re-referred to Com. on INS.
2025-04-21 California Legislative Information
(Pending re-refer to Com. on INS.)
2025-04-21 California Legislative Information
Assembly Rule 56 suspended. (Page 1163.)
2025-03-28 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on E.M and INS.
2025-03-27 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee April 26.
2025-03-26 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1531, Committee on Emergency Management.
Office of Emergency Services: comprehensive wildfire mitigation program.
Existing law, the Joint Exercise of Powers Act, authorizes 2 or more public agencies, if authorized by their legislative or other governing bodies, to enter into an agreement to jointly exercise any power common to the contracting parties, as provided. That act requires, among other things, that the agreement state the purpose of agreement or power to be exercised and provide for the method by which the purpose will be accomplished or the manner in which the power will be exercised.
Existing law, operative until July 1, 2029, 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. That law requires the joint powers authority to develop eligibility criteria for property owners, community organizations, and local governments that may receive financial assistance under the wildfire mitigation program.
This bill would require, on or before July 1, 2026, the Department of Insurance to be added as an ex officio nonvoting member to the California Wildfire Mitigation Program Board created pursuant to the joint powers agreement.

Current Bill Text

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