Skip to main content
Independent and nonpartisan. SaveYourState is a civic information resource. It is not a government website and is not affiliated with any government agency, party, or campaign.

California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Senate Bill

SB 653: Wildfire prevention: environmentally sensitive vegetation management.

Enacted Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

SB 653 is a senate bill introduced in the California Senate on February 20, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: Wildfire prevention: environmentally sensitive vegetation management. Primary sponsor: Dave Cortese (D). It lists 3 additional sponsors. Most recent recorded action (October 13, 2025): Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 778, Statutes of 2025.

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

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

Existing law requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, in accordance with policies established by the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, to assist local governments in preventing future high-intensity wildland fires and instituting appropriate fuels management by making its wildland fire prevention and vegetation management expertise available to local governments, as provided.

This bill would define an environmentally sensitive vegetation management project to mean vegetation management that reduces catastrophic wildfire risk over the long term while supporting native wildlife and biodiversity. The bill would require a state public entity to consider incorporating specified criteria into its funding guidelines for a grant program that funds environmentally sensitive vegetation management projects.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 4

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Dave CortesePrimary sponsorDemocraticSenate15
Ash KalraCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly25
Gail PellerinCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly28
Laura RichardsonCo-sponsorDemocraticSenate35

“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. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 778, Statutes of 2025.
  2. Approved by the Governor.
  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
  4. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 2606.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
  5. In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
  6. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 71. Noes 1. Page 2870.) Ordered to the Senate.
  7. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
  8. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (August 29).
  9. Coauthors revised.
  10. July 9 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
  11. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. pursuant to Joint Rule 10.5.
  12. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

Sources

  1. California Legislative Information — pubinfo database export
  2. Official bill page