AB 1891 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Forestry: Beneficial Fire Capacity Program.

Summary

Existing law authorizes a person that owns or controls brush-covered land, forest lands, woodland, grassland, and shrubland within a state responsibility area to apply to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for permission to use prescribed burning for certain public purposes. Existing law authorizes the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection to enter into an agreement for prescribed burning with a person to conduct the prescribed burning operations for certain purposes. Existing law requires the department to develop a training program for prescribed fire users to certify professionals as burn bosses. Existing law requires the department to conduct an experimental program of wildland resources management through prescribed burning and other methods in 2 areas of wildlands. This bill would require the department, on an annual basis, to allocate not less than 10% of funding appropriated to the department for local assistance and other grant programs where prescribed or beneficial fire is an eligible activity, consistent with the term of the appropriation, to expand training, organizational capacity, and support for community-led beneficial fire programs, including, but not limited to, those developed by California Native American tribes, nongovernmental organizations, universities and colleges, resources conservation districts, volunteer fire districts, and other local or special districts, as provided. The bill would require at least 25% of that allocation be awarded to California Native American tribes or tribally led or indigenous-led organizations, except as specified.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Aug 2026

Assembly Passage

May 2026

Senate Passage

Aug 2026

Governor

Introduced Feb 12, 2026 Last action Aug 27, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

06/25/26 - Amended Senate → AB1891 · 3 edits

MINOR

The enrolled version of AB 1891 broadens the funding source for the Beneficial Fire Capacity Program from a specific Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund appropriation to any funding appropriated to the department for local assistance and grant programs where beneficial fire is eligible. It also restructures the tribal funding requirement and narrows language about acres-treated metrics.

Scope change

The funding source for the 10 percent allocation was broadened from a single specific appropriation (Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund under a cited code section) to any departmental funding for local assistance and grant programs where beneficial fire is an eligible activity, potentially increasing the total dollar amount subject to the minimum allocation requirement.

FISCAL

The 10 percent allocation is no longer specifically tied to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund appropriation under Section 39719.4 of the Health and Safety Code. It now applies to any funding appropriated to the department for local assistance and other grant programs where prescribed or beneficial fire is an eligible activity, broadening the pool from which the minimum allocation must come.

ELIGIBILITY

The 25 percent tribal/indigenous-led organization funding requirement was moved from Section 4452 into Section 4451(a)(1)(B) as a standalone subparagraph. The additional language requiring that other proposals involving California Native American tribes or indigenous-led organizations be prioritized (beyond the 25 percent minimum) was removed from Section 4452.

REQUIREMENT

Section 4454(b) no longer explicitly requires reducing reliance on acres-treated metrics in application and reporting requirements. The requirement to develop alternative success metrics (such as number of people trained or new certified burn bosses) remains in subsection (c), but the direct instruction to reduce dependence on acres-treated metrics was removed.

05/18/26 - Amended Assembly → 06/25/26 - Amended Senate · 8 edits · Jun 25, 2026

MODERATE

The Senate amendment fundamentally restructures AB 1891 by eliminating the standalone Beneficial Fire Capacity Program and replacing it with a requirement that the department allocate at least 10 percent of existing local assistance and grant funding (where prescribed or beneficial fire is eligible) to community-led beneficial fire programs. It also adds flexibility for the department to award less than the minimum if qualified applicants do not request enough, broadens eligible organizations with 'including but not limited to' language, replaces a fixed five-year grant term requirement with a more flexible standard, and removes several transparency and technical assistance provisions.

SCOPE

The bill no longer establishes a standalone Beneficial Fire Capacity Program within the department. Instead, it requires the department to allocate at least 10 percent of funding already appropriated for local assistance and other grant programs where prescribed or beneficial fire is an eligible activity. This shifts the mechanism from creating a new program to carving out a share of existing funding streams.

FISCAL

The funding source reference was narrowed. The Assembly version cited both Section 39719(b)(4) and Section 39719.4(c)(1)(E) of the Health and Safety Code. The Senate version cites only Section 39719.4(c)(1)(E), removing the broader appropriation reference.

ELIGIBILITY

A new exception allows the department to award less than the 10 percent minimum allocation if total funding requested by qualified applicants does not reach that threshold (Section 4451(a)(2)).

The list of eligible organizations (tribes, NGOs, universities, conservation districts, volunteer fire districts, local or special districts) is now prefaced with 'including, but not limited to,' broadening eligibility beyond the enumerated categories.

REQUIREMENT

The Assembly version required grant terms of five years or more. The Senate version replaces this with a requirement to use 'the maximum flexibility provided for by law to allow for longer grant or award terms that support long-term capacity and planning,' removing the specific five-year floor.

The Assembly version required the department to publish on its website a list of funded entities, outcomes of block grants (including numbers of people trained, project plans developed, projects conducted), and an estimated need for additional funding. This transparency requirement is removed in the Senate version.

The Assembly version required the department to provide technical assistance to enhance capacity and assist in project development, and to assist grantees in identifying potential funding sources for additional beneficial fire projects. Both provisions are removed.

ENFORCEMENT

The Assembly version required the department to reduce reliance on acres-treated metrics. The Senate version is more prescriptive, requiring the department to develop alternative success metrics such as number of people trained in beneficial fire and number of new certified burn bosses, and to determine program success based on those metrics.

02/12/26 - Introduced → 05/18/26 - Amended Assembly · 6 edits · May 18, 2026

MODERATE

The amended version of AB 1891 significantly expands the scope of the Beneficial Fire Capacity Program by allowing funds to be used for actual beneficial fire projects (not just capacity building and training), adds a new section requiring the department to allow tribes to be paid for consultation, creates rulemaking authority exempt from standard administrative procedure requirements, and strengthens tribal priority language. The digest also clarifies that the program draws from an existing $200 million annual appropriation from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

SCOPE

Section 4452(2) expands the competitive grant program to fund 'projects or projects involving beneficial fire' in addition to capacity building, research, innovation, and training. This is a major scope expansion from the introduced version, which limited grants to implementation support rather than direct project funding.

REQUIREMENT

New Section 4454 requires the department, to the extent feasible, to allow awarded funds to be used to pay California Native American tribes or tribally designated individuals for consultation or engagement on programs or projects. It also requires reducing application/reporting requirements and reliance on acres-treated metrics, and allowing longer grant or award terms.

ENFORCEMENT

New Section 4455 grants the department authority to prescribe rules, guidelines, procedures, or other guidance to carry out the chapter, and exempts those from Government Code Chapter 3.5 (the standard administrative rulemaking process under the Administrative Procedure Act).

ELIGIBILITY

Section 4452(b) adds that 'Other proposals that involve California Native American tribes or tribally or indigenous-led organizations also shall be prioritized,' expanding beyond the original requirement that at least 25% of funds go to tribal or indigenous-led organizations.

FISCAL

Section 4451 is restructured to explicitly state the department shall use not less than 10 percent of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund appropriation 'on an annual basis' and adds that funding shall be delivered through 'grants, programs, and other mechanisms, including direct awards, block grants, and subawards.'

DEFINITION

Finding (d) in Section 2 is expanded to include 'maintaining' alongside 'restoring' the health of fire-adapted landscapes, and adds reference to 'landscapes impacted by fire deficit.'

Floor votes · Senate Aug 27, 2026 · Assembly May 27, 2026

How they voted

40–0

Passed

Total votes 40

Aug 27, 2026

D Democratic30

30 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican10

10 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 77. Noes 0.).

lower

Aug 27, 2026

Introduced

In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

lower

Aug 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.).

upper

Aug 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).

upper

Aug 3, 2026

Committee

In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

upper

Jun 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Jun 24, 2026

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 23).

upper

Jun 3, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on N.R. & W.

upper

May 27, 2026

Assembly · Passed

Assembly Vote: pass (77-0-2)

assembly

May 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0.)

lower

May 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

lower

May 14, 2026

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (May 14).

lower

Apr 8, 2026

Committee

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

lower

Mar 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (March 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Mar 2, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

lower

Feb 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 15.

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor