SACRAMENTO – Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire (D-North Coast) and a broad coalition of Senators from all corners of the Golden State have announced a sweeping legislative effort to strengthen California’s wildfire response and recovery, and to make communities more wildfire safe.

Following the devastating Los Angeles firestorm, the Senate is charging ahead with the Golden State Commitment—a major legislative package that will expand the state’s response efforts, streamline fire recovery, rebuilding, and prevention efforts, help stabilize the state’s insurance market, and expand protections for homeowners and renters. These comprehensive solutions will also deliver desperately needed financial resources for school and community college districts that have been impacted by devastating wildfires.

The Golden State Commitment embodies the Senate’s longstanding promise to make communities more fire safe and builds upon record investments by the State in wildfire prevention and response.

As California continues to face a year-round fire season, the Senate is forging a path forward to harden California’s defenses against future disasters. The Golden State Commitment legislative package includes 13 initial bills that target: 

Wildfire Recovery Measures:

·         Speed-up residential rebuilds 

·         Provide property tax relief

·         Protect consumers from price gouging

·         Expand insurance protections for small businesses

·         Expand protections for homeowners, tenants, and mobile home residents

·         Support the rebuilding of health facilities

·         Strengthen penalties against bad actors following disasters

·         Provide desperately needed resources for impacted school districts 

Fire Prevention and Response Measures:

·         Transition all 3,000 seasonal CAL FIRE firefighters to full-time, permanent status

·         Establish an insurance community hardening commission that will ensure more fire-safe communities and homeowners get the financial credit they deserve

·         Advance new policies that require fire-safe landscaping, setbacks, and inspections in high fire hazard zones

“We’re living in a new harsh reality. With California and the West burning at historic rates and an unrelenting year round fire season, we must buckle down to make our communities safer from wildfires. The 13 bills and accompanying budget investments in the Golden State Commitment package do just that,” Pro Tem Mike McGuire said. “The Senate is advancing an ambitious slate of policies to help California prepare for and prevent the next destructive wildfire, all while helping thousands in the greater LA region recover and rebuild strong. Every one of the bills in this package is essential to helping communities stabilize in the aftermath of a tragic natural disaster. These solutions will make the Golden State more fire-ready and resilient for decades to come.”

 

“As our community begins to rebuild from this horrific disaster, it’s critical that people have the tools and support they need to rebuild their homes and lives,” Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) said. “With this package of bills we hope to facilitate that process, and that includes much needed relief on taxes. We’re seeking to extend the deadlines to file claims and transfer base tax years to rebuilt homes, among other forms of property tax relief for impacted residents so that fire victims don’t have to worry about tax liability when they’ve lost everything. I’m grateful for the strong support from Pro Tem McGuire as our community looks to recover and prevent another disaster like this from ever happening again.”

 

“As we begin to rebuild, it’s critical that the small businesses at the heart of my community have the insurance protections they need to come back and thrive,” Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) said. “From prevention, to response, to recovery, this legislative package will deliver the direct relief and support our fire survivors need. I’m incredibly thankful to Pro Tem McGuire for supporting our neighbors during these difficult times. To the survivors, firefighters and first responders, we are with you every step of the way. ”

 

“When deadly fires tore through Los Angeles last month, our brave firefighters and first responders answered the call,” Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) said. “As they worked to save lives, they faced a new dangerous threat: looters and impersonators. I’m proud to work alongside my colleagues to increase penalties for these heartless criminals. Make no mistake—we are committed to helping Los Angeles rebuild and keeping our heroic first responders safe during times of disaster.”

 

“As we face increasingly severe wildfires, the State is working hard to ensure that Californians have the resources needed to be resilient and recover,” Senator Jesse Arreguín (D-Berkeley) said. “As part of this commitment, I am coauthoring a bill that increases penalties for those who loot or impersonate first responders, protecting victims of disasters from criminal activity.” 

 

“Following deadly wildfires like we saw in LA in January, rebuilding communities and allowing people the agency to return to their livelihoods quickly are keys to a successful recovery. Sadly, fire victims are often targeted by unlicensed professionals who swoop in before the dust has cleared and cause confusion,” Senator Angelique Ashby (D-Sacramento) said. “Homeowners and businesses have a target on their backs—it’s unacceptable and exactly why this bill is necessary to protect Californians after a disaster. This legislation will establish requisite certifications for debris removal, prevent unsolicited development offers in a disaster area, and help licensed professionals get to work by waiving unnecessary fees and deadlines when impacted by natural disasters.”

 

“Wildfires strike without regard to county lines or utility service areas, so we need a coordinated and comprehensive approach to keeping California safe,” Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) said. “We’ve made a lot of progress in recent years, but climate change continues to compound challenges and underscores the need for us to be thoughtful about how we do the most good, as quickly as possible, with our investments, which is the objective of my legislation.”  

 

“We must do everything we can to support the victims of the devastating Los Angeles fires and help them rebuild their communities,” Senator Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas) said. “I am proud to coauthor legislation that will speed up the rebuilding process by streamlining CEQA review and approval for community projects the same way we already do for major infrastructure projects.”

 

“We can make it easier for homeowners to get insurance and make structures more wildfire safe by developing an Insurance Community Hardening Commission. It will create statewide minimum fire standards that is data-driven. This will also help builders and developers,” said Senator Dave Cortese (D-Silicon Valley), who is a joint author. 

 

“Ask firefighters for the most important things that California can do to make homes survive wildfire and they will tell you two things: maintain defensible space and build to the state’s wildland-urban interface (WUI) building code,” said Senator Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles). “My ‘Keeping Communities Safe from Wildfire’ bill will automatically designate areas that burned in wildfire as a wildfire prone area, triggering defensible space and WUI building code requirements. And it will ensure that all local governments are fulfilling their responsibility to inspect properties for defensible space on an annual basis. Together these measures will save lives and homes across California.”

 

“The Legislature is acting quickly and boldly to support those most impacted by the recent wildfires, and to protect Californians into the future,” said Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach). “We are advancing solutions to protect tenants, homeowners, and small businesses, expand firefighter staffing, speed up rebuilding, assist displaced students, and more. That is our Golden State Commitment—a comprehensive, bipartisan, unified, and swift approach to help our communities recover, rebuild, and come back stronger than ever.”

 

“The grueling work of fighting these devastating wildfires takes a toll on physical and mental health, in ways we don’t yet entirely understand,” said Senator Tim Grayson (D-Concord), a joint-author of the bill. “In 2017, the year of the deadly Tubbs Fire, more firefighters died by suicide than on the front lines. This is an alarm bell and the State Senate is answering the call by moving this critical bill forward. Our firefighters need the training, rest, and resources to be ready to respond to emergencies 12 months a year, every year. It’s California’s life that’s on the line.”

 

“Our communities statewide are facing the devastating consequences of our changing climate,” Senator Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) said. “We have seen firsthand the level of destruction caused by countless fires, including the Mountain, Palisades and Eaton Fires, and we know the path to rebuild will not be easy. We must work together to ease the burden these families are feeling by providing them with a streamlined path to rebuild their homes and their futures.”

 

“Tens of thousands of families and businesses are facing massive financial losses due to the Los Angeles wildfires. For many, generations of wealth were wiped out by the devastating blazes,” Senator Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton) said. “As chair of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee, I’m proud to joint author urgency legislation with Senator Ben Allen to provide much-needed tax relief for survivors. Our bill will double the amount of time survivors have to access property tax relief, while extending the length of time survivors have to rebuild.”

 

“The impact of the fires on homeowners, renters, and small businesses has been devastating. As a legislative body, we are compelled to extend our support to fellow Californians in their time of need. Our focus must remain steadfastly on people, not politics,” said Senator Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro). “Having personally met with community members and business owners in the affected areas, I am confident that the Senate’s wildfire package will address their immediate needs to rebuild their homes, businesses, livelihoods, and most importantly, their communities. I am proud to sponsor these bills and uphold our Golden State commitment.”

 

“Strengthening how we build and harden our homes can save lives, safeguard property, and help rein in the skyrocketing insurance costs burdening families across the state,” said Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park). “That’s why we’re committed to taking bold, proactive action, not just protecting those in high-risk areas, but every Californian. Giving our firefighters the resources they need is critically important to meet that goal. The steps we’re taking now will fortify our neighborhoods year-round, while also honoring the courage and commitment of the firefighters who risk their lives to keep our communities safe.”

 

“Time and time again, fires have destroyed our communities throughout California including my own,” Senator Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles) said. “From looking after the most vulnerable children and elderly residents to make sure they still have access to childcare and healthcare, to hardening our homes and changing the way we build, we must take action now to make our communities, and our state, more resilient to deadly wildfires. As we begin to recover from this historic disaster, it’s important now more than ever that we provide the right tools and incentives we need to make our communities more fire safe. I’m proud to work with Pro Tem McGuire and my colleagues in the Senate to fortify our state’s defenses against wildfires.”

 

“After enduring the trauma of a fire, the last thing survivors deserve is to be swindled by unscrupulous opportunists who heartlessly raise rent and hotel prices,” Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) said. “Taking advantage of people in crisis is unacceptable and only deepens the inequities of climate disasters, which disproportionately impact communities of color, working-class families, seniors, and our most vulnerable residents. I’m proud to author this legislation to grant the Attorney General’s office greater enforcement authority against price gouging and to ensure Californians are protected in the aftermath of an emergency.”

“It is critical that the people of California are protected from those that prey on the vulnerable during crises," said Senator Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana). "It’s unconscionable that someone would use a state of emergency as a way to make a quick buck. We're building on prior efforts by expanding the tools of local prosecutors to go after the scum that rises to the surface during our darkest moments.”

 

“Climate disasters will only continue; we need to house the disaster refugees and create policies that will address this when another disaster happens in California,” said Senator Aisha Wahab (D-Silicon Valley).

The Golden State Commitment package includes bills authored by Pro Tem McGuire and Senators Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera), Jesse Arreguín (D-Berkeley), Angelique Ashby (D-Sacramento), Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park), Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas), Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), Jerry McNerney (D-Stockton), Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena), Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro), Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles), Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana), and Aisha Wahab (D-Silicon Valley).

En Español

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Mike McGuire is President pro Tempore of the California Senate. He represents the North Coast of California, which stretches from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border, including Del Norte, Trinity, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin Counties. Website of Senate Leader McGuire: https://sd02.senate.ca.gov/