SB 90 (Seyarto) — Summary: Wildfire Mitigation Grant Program (Prop 4 bond funds)
Status
- Introduced: January 22, 2025
- Status in provided documents: Passed first reading; considered in Senate Governmental Organization, Natural Resources & Water, and Appropriations committees.
- Source authority: Amends the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 (Proposition 4).
Purpose / Intent
- To broaden eligible uses of $135 million (from Prop 4 bond funds) allocated to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) for a wildfire mitigation grant program. The amendment adds specific project types aimed at improving evacuation safety and firefighting effectiveness and helps harden critical water infrastructure against power outages.
Key provisions / changes
- Funding source and administration
- Confirms $135,000,000 of Prop 4 bond proceeds shall be available, upon legislative appropriation, to OES for wildfire mitigation grants. OES must coordinate with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) in administering funds.
- Grants, loans, rebates, direct assistance and matching funds may be provided; program must prioritize benefit to disadvantaged, severely disadvantaged, and vulnerable populations.
Expanded list of eligible projects (adds to the list already in Prop 4)
- Improvements to public evacuation routes located in very high or high fire hazard severity zones.
- Acquisition/deployment of mobile rigid dip tanks — defined as steel, vandal-resistant tanks for storing water, retardant, or other firefighting material used for on-ground equipment or for aerial refilling of firefighting helicopters.
- Prepositioned mobile rigid water storage — defined as steel, vandal-resistant mobile tanks for refilling ground equipment or helicopter dip tanks, with extended service life.
- Improvements to the response and effectiveness of fire engines and helicopters.
- Grants (coordinated with the California Public Utilities Commission) for backup electrical generators for water reservoirs.
- Continues eligibility for zero‑emission backup power, energy storage, and microgrids for critical community infrastructure (also subject to PUC coordination), water delivery improvements for fire suppression, structure and community hardening, evacuation centers / community clean air centers, wildfire buffers, incentives to remove high‑risk structures, and home hardening.
Definitions added
- “Mobile rigid dip tank” and “mobile rigid water storage” are defined with emphasis on steel construction, vandal resistance when unattended, and suitability for aerial and ground refilling needs.
Prioritization & assistance
- OES and CalFire must prioritize local agency applications based on the Fire Risk Reduction Community list (pursuant to Gov. Code §4290.1).
- OES and CalFire must provide technical assistance to disadvantaged communities, vulnerable populations, socially disadvantaged farmers/ranchers, and economically distressed areas to ensure accessibility of the grant program.
Who is affected
- Eligible recipients: local agencies, state agencies, special districts, joint powers authorities, tribes, resource conservation districts, fire safe councils, nonprofits, and other organizations involved in wildfire resilience and emergency response.
- Beneficiaries: communities in very high/high fire hazard severity zones, disadvantaged and vulnerable populations, rural water systems and reservoirs (through generator grants), and firefighting operations (through water storage/dip tanks and equipment improvements).
Procedural / fiscal notes
- Funds available only upon appropriation by the Legislature (i.e., OES must receive an appropriation to expend the $135M).
- The bill does not itself appropriate additional state general funds; it expands eligible uses of existing Prop 4 bond-authorized funds.
- Fiscal committee review noted; the Digest indicates “MAJORITY” vote key and Fiscal Committee: YES.
Potential impacts
- Operational: Supports faster/more reliable aerial and ground firefighting operations (through dip tanks and prepositioned water storage), improved evacuation route safety, and better resilience of water supply systems during outages (through generators).
- Equity: Explicit focus on technical assistance and project benefits for disadvantaged communities and vulnerable populations.
- Coordination: Requires OES/CalFire coordination with the PUC for certain energy-related grants (generators, microgrids), potentially accelerating resiliency projects for critical water infrastructure.
- Implementation details—grant guidelines, scoring, procurement standards, and local match requirements—will be determined in OES/CalFire implementing program rules and by legislative appropriation.
If you want, I can:
- Produce a one‑page fact sheet for local governments and tribes describing how to apply and what project types to prioritize; or
- Draft a short checklist of documentation and eligibility criteria likely needed for grant applications under the amended program.
