Wildfires: fire hazard severity zones: post-wildfire safety areas.

Section 51182.5 was deleted in its entirety. It required each local or state fire authority (or designee) authorized to enforce vegetation management requirements to establish, fund, and implement a wildfire community safety program by January 1, 2027. The program would have required annual inspections of affected properties, allowed agencies to charge fees covering program and inspection costs, required submission of compliance data to a state reporting platform, and included a delay provision allowing agencies that demonstrated adequate progress before January 1, 2027 to defer the annual documentation requirement until January 1, 2029.

The bill's short description was updated from 'to add Sections 51179.5 and 51182.5 Section 51179.5 to' (a garbled amendment artifact) to simply 'to add Section 51179.5 to' the Government Code, reflecting the removal of Section 51182.5.

The fiscal note was simplified. The amended version contained language stating that for certain mandates no reimbursement is required by the act for a specified reason, in addition to the standard mandate reimbursement provision. The enrolled version retains only the standard provision that if the Commission on State Mandates determines the bill contains state-mandated costs, reimbursement shall be made pursuant to existing statutory procedures.

The bill text was reformatted from an official enrolled document (with page numbers, chapter heading, and governor/secretary signature blocks) into a web page layout that includes navigation links, a quick search bar, and version history sidebar. No changes to the legislative content itself were made.

Post-wildfire safety area designation authority shifted from cities and counties (by ordinance) to the State Fire Marshal directly. The old version required local governments to adopt ordinances designating burned areas as very high fire hazard severity zones; the new version has the State Fire Marshal designate them as post-wildfire safety areas.

The bill's scope expanded to include amendments to Sections 4202 and 4204 of the Public Resources Code, which were not present in the prior version.

The entire local ordinance adoption process was removed, including: requirement to transmit draft ordinances to the State Fire Marshal and local fire agencies 60 days before adoption, consultation requirements when recommendations were rejected, and the State Fire Marshal's ability to allege violations to the Attorney General if a city or county adopted an ordinance without proposed changes.

The deadline for designating post-wildfire safety areas was shortened from 120 days to 90 days after a wildfire reaches 100 percent containment (or May 1, 2026, whichever is later).

A new Section 51181 amendment requires the State Fire Marshal to publish the model and methodology used for burned-area and urban conflagration factors whenever reviewing fire hazard severity zones, not just at least 60 days before finalizing initial designations.

The definition of 'adequate progress' in Section 51182.5 was changed from 'concrete progressive steps' to simply 'progressive steps,' removing the word 'concrete' and potentially making it easier for enforcing agencies to qualify for a compliance delay until January 1, 2029.

Removed a standalone section declaring the Legislature's intent to enact subsequent legislation on (a) the frequency of inspections for defensible space compliance and (b) the inclusion of land within a fire hazard severity zone following a wildfire. This removes a forward-looking signal about future legislative action on those topics.

In Section 51179.5(a)(1)(C), the threshold for a qualifying wildfire changed from 'resulted in a fatality' to 'resulted in one or more fatalities.' Functionally similar but slightly broader in wording.

Fiscal committee review designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now requires fiscal committee approval before passage.

State-mandated local program designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' formally acknowledging that the bill imposes state-mandated local programs (requiring local agencies to adopt ordinances, establish enforcement programs, and conduct inspections). This has implications for potential state reimbursement obligations under the California Constitution.

A new 'post-wildfire safety area' designation is created. The State Fire Marshal (not the city or county) now designates these areas and transmits maps to local agencies within 90 days of 100 percent containment, replacing the previous requirement for cities and counties to adopt ordinances within 120 days.

A new factor for fire hazard severity zone designations is added: 'areas where agricultural land affects fire hazard' (new paragraph (4) of Section 51178).

Section 65302 of the Government Code (Planning and Zoning Law) is amended to require that the safety element of a general plan be reviewed and updated to address fire risk for land classified as a post-wildfire safety area. Cities and counties with territory in such an area must comply with this requirement.

The designation of a post-wildfire safety area automatically triggers application of state fire protection standards 30 days after the State Fire Marshal transmits the map. The designation is exempt from Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements.

The local enforcement program is renamed a 'wildfire community safety program' and now requires enforcing agencies to educate community members in addition to inspecting and documenting compliance annually. The definition of 'adequate progress' is updated accordingly.

Local agencies must, within 10 business days of receiving the post-wildfire safety area map, post a notice at the county recorder's office, county assessor's office, and city or county planning agency, and post the map on their internet website.

The timeframe for designating post-wildfire areas was shortened from 120 days to 90 days after the wildfire reaches 100 percent containment (or by May 1, 2026, whichever is later).

The previous Section 5 regarding reimbursement under Article XIIIB of the California Constitution (state mandates reimbursement) was removed from the bill.

The bill now amends Section 51178 of the Government Code to require that fire hazard severity zone designations include areas burned in qualifying wildfires (1,000+ acres, 10+ structures destroyed, or a fatality) and areas at risk for urban conflagration where structures can serve as fuel extending ember cast beyond wildland areas.

Fiscal notes changed from 'no' to 'yes' for both fiscal committee review and state-mandated local program, reflecting that the bill now imposes significant new obligations on local agencies.

New Section 51179.5 requires cities and counties to designate by ordinance any area burned in a qualifying wildfire (occurring on or after January 1, 2025) as a very high fire hazard severity zone within 120 days of the fire reaching 100 percent containment, or by May 1, 2026, whichever is later.

Enforcing agencies must inspect and document compliance for each affected property or structure at least once annually and submit data to a reporting platform established by the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The amendment establishes a multi-step review process: local agencies must send draft ordinances to the State Fire Marshal and local fire protection agencies at least 60 days before adoption; the State Fire Marshal may recommend changes; if recommendations are rejected, a consultation is required before adoption; and the State Fire Marshal may refer non-compliant localities to the Attorney General.

Local agencies may exclude burned areas from very high fire hazard severity zone designation only upon a finding supported by clear and convincing evidence that none of the state fire protection standards are necessary for effective fire protection in the area.

New Section 51182.5 requires local or state fire authorities to establish, fund, and implement enforcement programs beginning January 1, 2027, to verify compliance with defensible space, vegetation management, and fuel modification requirements. Agencies may charge fees sufficient to cover program costs and inspections.

Agencies that demonstrate adequate progress before January 1, 2027 may delay the annual documentation requirement until no later than January 1, 2029.

New definitions added for 'area burned in a wildfire' (based on incident maps from Cal Fire meeting specific thresholds) and 'state fire protection standards' (listing seven specific code chapters and regulations).

The original Section 1 (legislative intent to enact future legislation) is retained but moved to the end of the bill as a final section, while new legislative findings about WUI building standards, cost-effectiveness, and insurance discounts are added at the beginning.