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AB-2129 • 2026

State employees: compensation: firefighters.

State employees: compensation: firefighters.

Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Flora
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide specific details about which fire departments are being compared or how negotiations will proceed if they do not reach an agreement.

Firefighter Pay: State Employees

This law requires the state to negotiate fair pay for firefighters based on what other similar fire departments in California offer.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the state to bargain in good faith with firefighters who are rank-and-file members of State Bargaining Unit 8, employed by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, to reach a competitive range within 15% of the average salary for corresponding ranks in listed California fire departments.
  • Needs the state and firefighter representatives to jointly survey annually and calculate the estimated average salaries for those fire departments.
  • Provides that when determining compensation for uniformed classifications of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, it is the policy of the state to consider the salary of corresponding ranks within comparable jurisdictions listed, as well as other factors including internal comparisons.
  • Requires any changes to firefighter salaries under these provisions to be implemented through a memorandum of understanding.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Firefighters who work for the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
  • The Department of Human Resources

Terms To Know

State Bargaining Unit 8
A group that represents firefighters in talks with the state about pay and working conditions.
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
The part of the government responsible for fighting fires and protecting forests.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if negotiations do not reach an agreement.
  • It is unclear how this law will affect other state employees who are not firefighters.
  • The exact details about which fire departments are being compared have not been fully explained in the summary.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  2. 2026-03-09 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on P. E. & R.

  3. 2026-02-19 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.

  4. 2026-02-18 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 2129, as introduced, Flora.
State employees: compensation: firefighters.
Existing law provides that in order for the state to recruit skilled firefighters for the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, it is the policy of the state to consider prevailing salaries and benefits prior to making salary recommendations. Existing law requires the Department of Human Resources, in order to provide comparability in pay, to take into consideration the salary and benefits of other jurisdictions employing 75 or more full-time firefighters who work in California.
This bill would require the state to bargain in good faith with firefighters who are rank-and-file members of State Bargaining Unit 8, employed by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, to reach a competitive range within 15% of the average salary for corresponding ranks in 20 listed California fire departments. The bill would require
the state and the exclusive representative for State Bargaining Unit 8 to jointly survey annually and calculate the estimated average salaries for those fire departments. The bill would also require the Department of Human Resources, on or before March 31, 2027, for purposes of the bargaining unit contract renewal to be conducted on July 1, 2027, to conduct and report to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection a cursory survey on the salaries and benefits for the prior year of, among other positions, each of the fire chiefs for 5 listed California fire departments.
The bill would provide that when determining compensation for uniformed classifications of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, it is the policy of the state to consider the salary of corresponding ranks within the comparable jurisdictions listed, as well as other factors, including internal comparisons. The bill would require any salary increase for firefighters under these provisions
to be implemented through a memorandum of understanding, in accordance with specified procedures governing collective bargaining agreements. The bill would include legislative findings and declarations related to its provisions.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF