AB 372: Office of Emergency Services: state matching funds: water system infrastructure improvements.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law establishes, within the office of the Governor, the Office of Emergency Services (OES), under the direction of the Director of Emergency Services. Existing law charges the OES with coordinating various emergency activities within the state. The California Emergency Services Act, contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature, requires the OES to enter into a joint powers agreement pursuant to the Joint Exercise of Powers Act with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop and administer a comprehensive wildfire mitigation program relating to structure hardening and retrofitting and prescribed fuel modification activities. Existing law authorizes the joint powers authority to establish financial assistance limits and matching funding or other recipient contribution requirements for the program, as provided.

This bill, contingent upon appropriation by the Legislature, would establish the Rural Water Infrastructure for Wildfire Resilience Program within the OES for the distribution of state matching funds to urban wildland interface communities, as defined, in designated high fire hazard severity zones or very high fire hazard severity zones to improve water system infrastructure, as prescribed. The bill would require the OES to work in coordination with the Department of Water Resources, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, and other state entities as the OES determines to be appropriate, to achieve the purposes of the program. The bill would require the OES to develop criteria and a scoring methodology to prioritize the distribution of state matching funds provided under the program to rural communities based upon specified criteria.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. September 3, 2025Ordered to inactive file at the request of Senator Allen.
2. September 2, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
3. August 29, 2025Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
4. August 29, 2025From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).
5. August 18, 2025In committee: Referred to suspense file.
6. July 16, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 16). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
7. June 24, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on N.R. & W. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.
8. June 11, 2025Referred to Coms. on G.O. and N.R. & W.
9. June 3, 2025In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
10. June 2, 2025Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1822.)
11. May 27, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
12. May 23, 2025From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (May 23).