SB-653 • 2026

Wildfire prevention: environmentally sensitive vegetation management.

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Cortese
Last action: 2025-10-13
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 778, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the criteria or which state public entities are required to follow these rules.

Wildfire Prevention: Managing Vegetation Carefully

This law defines environmentally sensitive vegetation management projects and requires state public entities to consider certain criteria when funding these projects through grant programs.

What This Bill Does

Defines an environmentally sensitive vegetation management project as one that reduces catastrophic wildfire risk over the long term while supporting native wildlife and biodiversity.
Requires state public entities to incorporate specified criteria into their funding guidelines for grant programs that fund environmentally sensitive vegetation management projects.

Who It Names or Affects

State public entities like government agencies

Terms To Know

Environmentally sensitive vegetation management project: Vegetation management that reduces catastrophic wildfire risk over the long term while supporting native wildlife and biodiversity.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify which state public entities are required to follow these rules.
It is unclear how much funding will be available for environmentally sensitive vegetation management projects.

Bill History

2025-10-13 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 778, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-13 California Legislative Information
Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-16 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 2606.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 71. Noes 1. Page 2870.) Ordered to the Senate.
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (August 29).
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
Coauthors revised.
2025-07-09 California Legislative Information
July 9 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-06-26 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on APPR. pursuant to Joint Rule 10.5.
2025-06-26 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-06-25 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2025-06-24 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 23).
2025-06-05 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
2025-05-29 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
2025-05-29 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 1338.) Ordered to the Assembly.
2025-05-27 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 1208.) (May 23).
2025-05-16 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 23.
2025-05-05 California Legislative Information
May 5 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-04-25 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 5.
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 839.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-10 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.
2025-04-04 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 22.
2025-04-02 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.
2025-03-24 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
2025-03-05 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on RLS.
2025-02-21 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.
2025-02-20 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 653, Cortese.
Wildfire prevention: environmentally sensitive vegetation management.
Existing law requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, in accordance with policies established by the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, to assist local governments in preventing future high-intensity wildland fires and instituting appropriate fuels management by making its wildland fire prevention and vegetation management expertise available to local governments, as provided.
This bill would define an environmentally sensitive vegetation management project to mean vegetation management that reduces catastrophic wildfire risk over the long term while supporting native wildlife and biodiversity. The bill would require a state public entity to consider
incorporating specified criteria into its funding guidelines for a grant program that funds
environmentally sensitive vegetation management projects.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF