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AB-1888 • 2026

California Safe Homes grant program: contractors.

California Safe Homes grant program: contractors.

Labor
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Ortega
Last action
Official status
Assembly - Appropriations
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date of this law is not provided in the source material, only that it passed the Legislature.

Rules for Contractors on California Safe Homes Grants

This law requires the Department of Insurance to create standard rules by July 1, 2027, that set wage standards and licensing requirements for contractors doing wildfire work with grant money.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Insurance to write standardized steps for picking contractors and awarding funds by July 1, 2027.
  • Sets specific pay rules for any contractor who does work under these new procedures.
  • Stops a contractor from getting prequalified or awarded a contract unless they promise to use skilled workers for building jobs that have apprenticeships.
  • Requires all contractors and subcontractors to hold a valid state license for the exact task being funded.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Contractors who want to do wildfire mitigation work with grant funds
  • Subcontractors hired by those main contractors
  • The Department of Insurance, which must create the new rules

Terms To Know

California Safe Homes grant program
A state fund managed by the Department of Insurance to help reduce wildfire losses.
Apprenticeable occupation
A job in building or construction where workers can learn skills through a training program while they work, as specified by law.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not list the exact wage amounts that contractors must pay.
  • The specific categories of wildfire mitigation work are mentioned but not fully described in this text.
  • The law sets a deadline for creating rules, but it does not say when those new rules will start being used.

Bill History

  1. California Legislative Information

    Assembly - Appropriations

Official Summary Text

California Safe Homes grant program: contractors.