Editor’s note: This story has been updated to add videos.
(The Center Square) – A slew of new legislation was introduced in the California Legislature Wednesday that aims to make the Golden State more resilient during ever-worsening wildfire seasons.
Advocates of the legislation said the bills are part of an effort to give taxpayers the highest return on investment for wildfire mitigation programs and wildfire reductions risks in communities across the state.
“Those programs are bringing in more in federal dollars for these communities than the state is spending in getting the programs going,” Eric Horne, California director for nonprofit organization Megafire Action, said during a news conference. “With technology in particular, we’re seeing high ROI [return on investment] investments that amplify every single dollar that the state spends on wildfire mitigation and suppression. That is really what I think motivates the package.”
Thirteen distinct bills were announced in the press conference Wednesday afternoon at the Capitol that attempt to increase county wildfire response efforts, help homeowners “harden” their homes against wildfires and manage water resources in wildfire-prone counties, according to lawmakers at the press conference and the text of the legislation.
The legislation follows efforts from Southern California leaders and lawmakers in Sacramento to increase assistance to the thousands of families who lost their homes in the Paradise and Eaton fires in January 2025 in Los Angeles County. Many residents have been unable to get full or any insurance claims paid to rebuild their homes or otherwise recover, something Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass recently spoke about in a visit to the Capitol in Sacramento.
Other bills have been introduced this year, including bills that would require the full cash value of homes to be paid to families who lost their homes in wildfires.
“As we saw firsthand last January, modern fires are now spreading from wildlands into urban communities, turning our neighborhoods upside down and leaving families scrambling to pick up the pieces,” Sen. Ben Allen, D-El Segundo, said during the press conference. “This past year has been immensely challenging. Tens of thousands of people remain displaced from their homes. They’re fighting with their insurance for days on end.”
Allen added that the problem isn’t just inherent to his community – it’s a challenge for many communities up and down the state.
“We know we need solutions,” Allen said. “We need solutions that are tangibly going to reduce this increasing climate risk through efficiently scaling wildfire mitigation techniques that we know work. That’s exactly the purpose behind several of the bills that we have propose here today.”
In response to a question from The Center Square during the press conference, lawmakers said they know many of the programs proposed by the wildfire legislation will require some budget allocations. But they added that ultimately those programs would be paid for by existing funds in the state’s coffers.
“My bill isn’t calling for the creation of new money, it’s simply a percentage of the GGRF [greenhouse gas reduction fund],” Assemblymember Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, told The Center Square. “In an era where we are seeing devastating cuts – frankly, unfair and illegal cuts from the federal government – it’s important to recognize that Californians are stepping up.”
