SB 1297 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Regional wildfire partnerships.

Summary

Existing law establishes in the Department of Conservation the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program to support regional leadership to build local and regional capacity and develop, prioritize, and implement strategies and projects that create fire adapted communities and landscapes by improving ecosystem health, community wildfire preparedness, and fire resilience. Existing law requires the department, upon appropriation, among other things, to provide block grants to regional entities, as defined, to develop regional strategies and projects that create fire adapted communities and landscapes, as provided. Existing law authorizes regional entities to implement collaborative planning efforts with specified local entities and develop regional priority strategies that develop and support specified goals. This bill would revise and recast the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program. The bill would, among other things, authorize regional entities to (1) implement collaborative planning efforts with insurance companies, private and public utilities, and other private and public entities, and (2) develop regional priority strategies that develop and support fire-resistant homes, businesses, and public buildings, as provided. The bill would authorize a public regional entity, or an entity or entities designated by a public regional entity, to organize a regional wildfire partnership, defined as either a partnership between a public regional entity and specified private entities or a joint powers authority, as provided, in order to support the regional priority strategies. The bill would require a regional wildfire partnership to submit an annual report to the Department of Conservation, as provided, and would require the department to make the reports publicly available on its internet website. Existing law, the Bergeson-Peace Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank Act, establishes the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (I-Bank) within the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development and, among other things, authorizes the I-Bank to make loans, issue bonds, and provide financial assistance for various types of projects that qualify as economic development or public development facilities, as provided. This bill would authorize the I-Bank, in coordination with the Treasurer and the Department of Conservation, to issue revenue bonds to finance regional priority strategies developed by regional wildfire partnerships. The bill would establish the Regional Wildfire Partnership Revolving Fund (revolving fund) in the State Treasury, require moneys generated from the sale of bonds to be deposited in the revolving fund and used exclusively to support a regional wildfire partnership, and continuously appropriate moneys in the revolving fund to the I-Bank to support a regional wildfire partnership. By establishing a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation. The bill would require a regional wildfire partnership receiving funds from the I-Bank to enter into a repayment and participation agreement with the bank, specifying the funding commitments and reporting obligations. The bill would also authorize the I-Bank to provide technical assistance to regional wildfire partnerships.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 20, 2026 Last action May 14, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

03/25/26 - Amended Senate → 04/14/26 - Amended Senate · 9 edits · Apr 14, 2026

MAJOR

The April 14 amendment substantially expands SB 1297 by introducing a new 'regional wildfire partnership' entity type that can take the form of a public-private cooperative arrangement or joint powers authority, revises the existing Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program (Section 4208.1) to add detailed operational requirements and departmental obligations, and removes the previously included nonsubstantive amendment to the Planning and Zoning Law (Section 65100). The bill now makes a formal appropriation and expands the revolving fund to cover both collaboratives and partnerships.

SCOPE

A new entity type called a 'regional wildfire partnership' is defined. It can be either (1) a cooperative arrangement, contract, or MOU between public regional entities and private entities (including insurers and utilities), or (2) a joint powers authority that enters into agreements with private entities. This broadens the bill beyond just public-sector collaboratives to explicitly include private-sector partnerships.

The amendment to Section 65100 of the Government Code (Planning and Zoning Law), which made nonsubstantive changes to provisions about city and county planning agencies, is removed entirely from the bill.

REQUIREMENT

Section 4208.1 is now amended (previously only referenced as existing law) to add detailed operational requirements: regional entities must maximize risk reductions to people and property; regional priority strategies must address fire-resistant homes, businesses, and public buildings; project development and permitting must generate implementation-ready projects; forest management and community fire preparedness demonstration projects are required; and data collection and mapping of at-risk communities is mandated.

New legislative intent provisions require the framework to: provide a flexible suite of financing tools including revenue bonds; establish catalytic state investment to demonstrate viability; enable performance-based financing structures where upfront capital is supported by multiyear revenue commitments tied to verified risk reductions; encourage private utility and insurer participation while preserving regulatory flexibility; and maintain regional design flexibility without requiring participation by any particular entity.

The Department of Conservation is given new obligations under the revised Section 4208.1: facilitate peer-to-peer learning between regions, provide technical assistance to enhance regional capacity, assist regions in identifying funding sources, encourage local cost share opportunities, and publish on its website a list of funded entities, grant outcomes including number of people and properties protected, and progress toward statewide coverage of high fire hazard zones.

ENFORCEMENT

A new section (labeled Section 4208.2 in the Public Resources Code, separate from the collaborative formation section) requires regional wildfire partnerships to submit an annual report to the Department of Conservation by December 31 regarding whether funds other than program grants were used for projects in their regional priority strategies. The department must make these reports publicly available on its website.

FISCAL

The revolving fund is renamed from 'Regional Wildfire Mitigation Collaborative Revolving Fund' to 'Regional Wildfire Mitigation Collaborative Partnership Revolving Fund.' Revenue bonds may now finance both wildfire mitigation plans developed by collaboratives AND regional priority strategies developed by partnerships. The bill's appropriation status changes from 'no' to 'yes' and fiscal committee approval from 'no' to 'yes.'

ELIGIBILITY

A new eligibility rule is added: only a regional wildfire partnership is eligible for financing from the Revolving Fund. A regional entity that is not a regional wildfire partnership remains eligible for grants and other financing from sources other than the Revolving Fund. This creates a distinction between grant-eligible entities and bond-financing-eligible entities.

DEFINITION

New legislative findings are added emphasizing that regional entities with local expertise are best positioned to develop tailored strategies, that sustainable financing requires aligning the financial interests of multiple beneficiary parties (local governments, water agencies, electrical corporations, insurers, reinsurers, state and federal agencies), and that I-Bank financing tools and catalytic state funding can lower transaction costs and attract private participation.

04/14/26 - Amended Senate → SB1297 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was substantially simplified by replacing the 'Regional Wildfire Mitigation Collaborative' framework with a broader 'Regional Wildfire Partnership' concept that operates within the existing Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program. The detailed standalone entity formation rules, wildfire mitigation plan development requirements, and multi-agency plan approval process were all removed. Partnerships can now access I-Bank bond financing through the Revolving Fund without submitting a separate plan for review by multiple state agencies.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed from creating a new standalone collaborative entity type with its own formation rules, plan development requirements, and approval process, to a simpler partnership structure that plugs into the existing Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program. The partnership concept is broader in who can participate (explicitly including private entities as co-partners) but lighter in regulatory requirements for accessing state bond financing.

DEFINITION

The core entity was renamed from 'Regional Wildfire Mitigation Collaborative' to 'Regional Wildfire Partnership.' The new definition is broader: it can be either (1) a cooperative arrangement or contractual agreement between public regional entities and private entities, or (2) a joint powers authority. The old collaborative was limited to specific public entities (cities, counties, fire districts, water agencies, etc.) and required separate cooperative agreements with insurers and private utilities.

REQUIREMENT

The detailed wildfire mitigation plan requirements were eliminated entirely. These previously required plans to focus on communitywide risk reduction, include specific project types (structure hardening, Firewise USA communities, vegetation management, prescribed burns, defensible space, ignition prevention), and consider goals like improving insurance affordability and reducing utility-started fire risk.

A new annual reporting requirement was added: partnerships must submit a report to the Department of Conservation by December 31 of the year they were created and annually thereafter, regarding whether any funds other than program grants were used for projects in their regional priority strategies. The department must make these reports publicly available on its website.

ENFORCEMENT

The multi-agency plan review and approval process was removed. Previously, the Department of Conservation could consult with the State Fire Marshal, CAL FIRE, Housing and Community Development, Office of Emergency Services, Department of Insurance, and Public Utilities Commission to review plans against criteria including risk reduction, cost effectiveness, and geographic scope. Partnerships no longer need this approval to access Revolving Fund financing.

ELIGIBILITY

Only a 'Regional Wildfire Partnership' is now eligible for financing from the Revolving Fund. Regional entities that are not partnerships remain eligible for grants and other financing from other sources, but cannot access the I-Bank bond mechanism.

FISCAL

The I-Bank Revolving Fund mechanism was retained but simplified. Bond proceeds now support 'regional priority strategies developed by a regional wildfire partnership' rather than 'wildfire mitigation plans developed by collaboratives.' The fund distribution no longer requires prior approval of a plan under a specific section - it simply distributes to 'a partnership.'

02/20/26 - Introduced → 03/25/26 - Amended Senate · 7 edits · Mar 25, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was transformed from a minor nonsubstantive amendment to the Planning and Zoning Law into a comprehensive wildfire mitigation financing framework. The amended version creates Regional Wildfire Mitigation Collaboratives that can form as joint powers authorities, authorizes the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (I-Bank) to issue revenue bonds to fund their plans, and establishes a continuously appropriated Revolving Fund in the State Treasury. This matters because it creates a new public financing mechanism specifically targeted at wildfire prevention projects like structure hardening, vegetation management, and defensible space, addressing what the bill identifies as a critical gap where 90 percent of state wildfire spending goes to suppression rather than prevention.

SCOPE

The bill now covers regional wildfire mitigation collaboratives, I-Bank bond issuance for wildfire projects, and a new Revolving Fund in the State Treasury, expanding far beyond its original scope of a nonsubstantive planning code fix.

DEFINITION

New definitions added for 'regional wildfire mitigation collaborative,' 'entity,' 'revolving fund,' 'eligible coordinating organization,' and 'statewide implementation' across both the Government Code and Public Resources Code.

FISCAL

Establishes the Regional Wildfire Mitigation Collaborative Revolving Fund in the State Treasury with a continuous appropriation to I-Bank. Authorizes I-Bank to issue taxable or tax-exempt revenue bonds, with proceeds deposited into the fund and used exclusively for wildfire mitigation plans. Bonds are not a state debt obligation.

ELIGIBILITY

Regional entities (state conservancies, local governments, tribal governments, resource conservation districts, joint powers authorities, or nongovernmental organizations with demonstrated capacity) may form collaboratives with cities, counties, fire districts, water agencies, public utilities, conservancies, resource conservation districts, tribal governments, and other public agencies.

REQUIREMENT

Collaboratives must develop wildfire mitigation plans focused on communitywide risk reduction, consider projects that improve insurance availability and affordability and reduce utility-started fire risk, submit plans to the Department of Conservation for approval, and enter into repayment and participation agreements with I-Bank. Plans may include structure hardening, Firewise USA communities, vegetation management, prescribed grazing and burns, defensible space, public education, ignition prevention, and fuel modification.

ENFORCEMENT

The Department of Conservation reviews submitted wildfire mitigation plans, consulting with the State Fire Marshal, CAL FIRE, HUD-C, OES, the Department of Insurance, and the Public Utilities Commission. Review criteria include risk reduction in high hazard zones, geographic scope, and cost effectiveness. Approval is required before a collaborative becomes eligible for I-Bank funds.

TECHNICAL

The original nonsubstantive change to Section 65100 (swapping 'appropriate and necessary' to 'necessary and appropriate') is retained but moved to the final section of the bill rather than being the sole provision.

Floor votes

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No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

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Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

May 14 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

upper

Apr 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0. Page 3954.) (April 20). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Apr 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.

upper

Apr 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on B. P. & E.D. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 3870.) (April 14). Re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.

upper

Apr 8, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Coms. on N.R. & W. and B. P. & E.D.

upper

Mar 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Mar 4, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Feb 20, 2026

Introduced

Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

upper

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor