WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

AB 300

Relating to: a grant program for the purchase of automated registration plate reader systems. (FE)

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Lindee Brill and 13 co-sponsors

AB 300 requires the State Fire Marshal to routinely reclassify and review fire hazard severity zones every five years, expanding statewide and SRA assessments.

Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · AB 300

AB 300 (Lackey) — Summary

Title: Fire hazard severity zones: State Fire Marshal
Introduced: January 23, 2025
Status (as provided): Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Fiscal: No appropriation; Fiscal Committee review required. Vote: Majority.

Main purpose

AB 300 requires the State Fire Marshal to review and (where applicable) identify or reclassify fire hazard severity zones on a shorter, more frequent schedule and to broaden the scope of routine reviews. The bill updates multiple code sections to ensure more regular statewide assessment of wildfire hazard designations.

Key provisions (section-by-section)

  • Amends Government Code §51178:

    • Reiterates that the State Fire Marshal shall identify areas as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones using consistent statewide criteria (factors include fuel loading, slope, fire weather and winds).
    • Requires the State Fire Marshal to re‑review areas not currently identified as moderate, high, or very high fire hazard severity zones at least once every 5 years (text shows substitution of a shorter interval).

  • Amends Government Code §51181:

    • Requires review of areas already identified as very high fire hazard severity zones at least once every 5 years.
    • Directs that this review should coincide with reviews of state responsibility area (SRA) lands and, when possible, fall within county general plan update timeframes.
    • Any revisions to very high fire hazard severity zones must comply with existing statutory requirements.

  • Amends Public Resources Code §4202:

    • Requires classification of lands within state responsibility areas into fire hazard severity zones based on the same factors; mandates re‑review of SRA lands not yet classified at least once every 5 years and classify them if applicable.

  • Amends Public Resources Code §4204:

    • Requires review of zones previously designated and rated at least once every 5 years, with authority to revise zone boundaries or ratings or repeal designations consistent with current rulemaking and petition provisions.

Who is affected

  • State Fire Marshal’s Office (new/expanded review obligations and administrative workload).
  • Counties and local governments (reviews expected to align with general plan update schedules where possible).
  • Property owners, developers, utilities and insurers in areas that may be newly identified or reclassified as moderate, high, or very high fire hazard severity zones — potential downstream effects on permitting, building standards, defensible‑space requirements, and insurance underwriting.
  • Agencies and stakeholders that use hazard zone maps for planning, land management, and wildfire mitigation.

Procedural/timing notes and potential impacts

  • The bill changes the statutory review cadence (appears to shorten from an 8‑year interval to a 5‑year interval), increasing the frequency of statewide and SRA classification reviews.
  • No appropriation is contained in the bill text; however, the Fiscal Committee must review potential administrative costs. More frequent reviews could increase staffing, modeling, mapping, and outreach costs for the Office of the State Fire Marshal and for counties coordinating on updates.
  • Amendments preserve existing rulemaking protections and petition processes for zone revision or repeal (references to current law remain).

If you want, I can:
- Pull out the exact amended statutory language for each affected code section, or
- Prepare a short one‑page explainer on how a change from an 8‑year to a 5‑year review cycle could affect local planning and permitting.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.