SB 1297: Regional wildfire partnerships.

Official summary

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

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.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 2

“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. May 14, 2026May 14 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
2. May 8, 2026Set for hearing May 14.
3. May 4, 2026May 4 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
4. April 24, 2026Set for hearing May 4.
5. April 20, 2026From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0. Page 3954.) (April 20). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
6. April 15, 2026Set for hearing April 20.
7. April 14, 2026From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.
8. April 14, 2026From 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.
9. April 9, 2026Set for hearing April 14.
10. April 8, 2026Re-referred to Coms. on N.R. & W. and B. P. & E.D.
11. March 25, 2026From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
12. March 4, 2026Referred to Com. on RLS.