Covered wildfire mitigation projects: consolidated and expedited review.

Defensible space project eligibility reduced from up to 300 feet from a structure to up to 200 feet from a structure, narrowing which projects qualify for expedited review.

Removed a category of eligible activities that covered vegetation removal in chaparral, shrubland, grassland, and coastal sage scrub lands using cultural or traditional ecological knowledge for cultural burning or prescribed fire. Only forest-specific vegetation removal for fire-resilient conditions remains in that slot.

Fuel break maintenance eligibility broadened by removing the qualifier 'as part of fuel modification projects,' allowing standalone fuel break maintenance to qualify.

Maximum project size for forest ecosystem health projects increased from less than 500 acres to less than 1,000 acres, doubling the allowable scale of these projects.

Type conversion protection for chaparral and coastal sage scrub expanded from 'southern California native' to all 'native' chaparral and coastal sage scrub statewide, broadening the geographic scope of this environmental safeguard.

Removed the requirement that CAL-FIRE conduct a risk reduction cost per unit calculation for all publicly funded projects. Only the cost-benefit analysis requirement for state-funded grant projects remains.

Removed the explicit pesticide carve-out from the expedited authorization waiver provision. Previously, the waiver could not apply to pesticide requirements under Divisions 6 and 7 of the Food and Agricultural Code. Projects using pesticides still do not qualify as covered projects under Section 4240(c).

Removed from the legislative report a requirement to include information on all projects authorized to use herbicides, including location and herbicide type.

Legislative report deadline moved up from July 1, 2029 to July 1, 2028, giving agencies one less year to implement before reporting.

Removed the intermediate sunset date of December 31, 2030 (repeal January 1, 2031). The chapter now remains in effect only until January 1, 2034, with the expedited authorization authority expiring January 1, 2029.

Entirely new Article 8.5 (Sections 4745-4748) creates a Nontimber Vegetation Management Program under the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, providing an additional authorization pathway for vegetation management activities not subject to Forest Practice Rules on local, nonfederal, private, and state-owned lands. The board must adopt emergency regulations by July 1, 2028 that qualify as a CEQA certified regulatory program, hold at least 3 public meetings (one in southern California), and adopt permanent regulations before July 1, 2030. These provisions repeal on January 1, 2035.

Forest project size limit increased from less than 500 acres to less than 1,000 acres. The 50-acre limit for chaparral, shrubland, grassland, and coastal sage scrub projects is now specifically limited to removal of flammable nonnative grasses and herbaceous plants.

New provision stating the chapter does not authorize projects inconsistent with applicable local ordinances or regulations, and that compliance with local requirements is a condition of expedited authorization. Projects inconsistent with local requirements do not qualify for expedited authorization.

Project completion deadline changed from a flat 2 years to 5 years for prescribed fire projects or 2 years for all other projects. The expedited authorization authority becomes inoperative on January 1, 2029 (new). The chapter sunset moved from December 31, 2030 to January 1, 2034. The legislative report deadline moved from July 1, 2029 to July 1, 2028.

New legislative report requirements added: total number of expedited projects approved, and the location and acreage of each approved project.

Defensible space distance reduced from 300 feet to 200 feet from a structure. Prescribed or cultural fire in ecosystems with a fire deficit now explicitly excludes coastal sage scrub and chaparral communities. Projects using pesticides no longer qualify as covered wildfire mitigation projects (moved into the definition section).

New mandatory public comment process: consolidated review agencies must post project information on an internet website within 5 business days of an application being deemed complete, include a function for public written comments for at least 20 days, and consider all timely submitted comments before approving the project.

New restrictions on what can be waived: the consolidated review agencies cannot approve a project that requires an incidental take permit under the California Endangered Species Act or the Native Plant Protection Act. Clean Water Act permits and Water Code Division 2 permits are now explicitly excluded from waiver authority.

New requirement that CAL-FIRE provide a cost-benefit analysis estimating return on investment for risk reduction (or an explanation why an estimate could not be assigned) for each state-funded grant project.

Significantly expanded enforcement provisions: added detailed factors courts must consider when determining penalty amounts (persistence, gravity, duration, willfulness, ability to pay, prior history, economic savings, etc.), authorized the Attorney General or district attorney to petition court for penalties upon request of consolidated review agencies, specified that each specific act is a separate violation, and directed recovered money to the General Fund.

Two new project activity types added: (E) removal or modification of vegetation in forests that create more fire-resilient conditions, and (F) removal of nonnative vegetation in chaparral, shrubland, grassland, and coastal sage scrub ecosystems. The State Environmental Protection Plan reference date changed from May 2025 to December 2025.

The entire provision amending Public Utilities Code Section 719 was deleted. This removed the requirement for the Wildfire Fund administrator to prepare a report recommending new models or approaches to mitigate damage, accelerate recovery, and allocate natural catastrophe burdens across stakeholders, including recommendations on insurance affordability, alternative risk socialization structures, and litigation reform options.

The role of the California Environmental Protection Agency was downgraded from a co-equal joint administrator ('acting jointly') to a coordinating partner ('in coordination with') the Natural Resources Agency, reducing CalEPA's formal authority in the consolidated review process.

A pesticide carve-out was added: the expedited authorization does not waive pesticide requirements under Divisions 6 and 7 of the Food and Agricultural Code, and all pesticide applications must still comply with applicable use reporting requirements.

A Forest Practice Act carve-out was added: timber operations must still comply with the Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act and Forest Practice Rules, and stipulated agreements issued by administrative law judges for electrical corporations regarding Forest Practice Act applicability are not affected by this chapter.

A clarification was added that the chapter does not preclude compliance with applicable local and federal statutes, rules, and regulations.

A new definition of 'project review team' was added: an interdisciplinary team led by CAL-FIRE including representatives from the regional water quality control board, State Water Resources Control Board, Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Geological Survey, and California Coastal Commission, tasked with evaluating projects and assisting in determining conformance with the State Environmental Protection Plan.

The definition of 'covered wildfire mitigation project' was restructured to require that risk reduction be quantified through one of three specific pathways: required by law, identified in a utility wildfire mitigation plan or community wildfire preparedness plan using approved tools, or included in a department-proposed plan. A new category (H) was added for prescribed or cultural fire in ecosystems with a fire deficit regardless of plan inclusion.

New habitat-specific restrictions were added: fuel breaks in chaparral, shrubland, grassland, and coastal sage scrub cannot replace less flammable vegetation with ignition-prone or nonnative vegetation; fuel break treatments are capped at 300 feet in width; defensible space is limited to 300 feet from a structure; and roadway vegetation removal is limited to 100 feet from the centerline.

The flat 3,000-acre project size limit was replaced with tiered limits: less than 3,000 acres for powerline right-of-way maintenance and existing fuel break maintenance; less than 500 acres for forest projects and ecosystem health improvement on chaparral/shrubland/grassland/coastal sage scrub; and less than 50 acres for other projects in those non-forest habitats.

A type conversion protection was added: in southern California, project activities that could lead to type conversion where native chaparral and coastal sage scrub are present shall be avoided, except where conversion to bare ground or mowed vegetation is the desired outcome.

The consolidated review agencies were given explicit authority to require additional environmental protection measures where reasonably necessary to protect resources in the project area or mitigate impacts on those resources.

A civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation was added for any person who intentionally, knowingly, or negligently violates the State Environmental Protection Plan. A single action causing damage over multiple days is not considered a continuing violation.

The July 1, 2029 legislative report requirements were expanded to specifically include information on project non-compliance with the Environmental Protection Plan, enforcement actions and challenges to state authority, adequacy of staff resources, and details on all projects authorized to use herbicides including location and type.

For all publicly funded projects, CAL-FIRE is now required to conduct a risk reduction cost per unit analysis.

A sunset provision was added: the chapter becomes inoperative on December 31, 2030, and is repealed as of January 1, 2031.

Added an entirely new Chapter 1.8 (Sections 4240-4241) to the Public Resources Code establishing a consolidated and expedited review process for covered wildfire mitigation projects, administered jointly by the Natural Resources Agency and the California Environmental Protection Agency.

Exempted covered wildfire mitigation projects from CEQA (Division 13 of the Public Resources Code), meaning no environmental impact report, negative declaration, or mitigated negative declaration is required.

Added legislative findings (new Section 1) citing the California Earthquake Authority report and Executive Order N-38-25 as justification for expediting eligible fuels reduction and ignition-risk reduction projects.

Defined 'covered wildfire mitigation project' to include seven specific activity types: removal of hazardous/dead/dying trees or vegetation, creation of strategic fuel breaks, community defensible space, roadway vegetation removal, cultural burning or prescribed fire treatments, maintenance of established fuel breaks, and vegetation removal around electrical utility lines. Projects must have quantified risk reduction in an approved plan.

Established a 60-calendar-day approval timeline for complete applications, extendable only by mutual agreement between the applicant and the consolidated review agencies. The written determination must include project description, eligibility basis, list of covered permits, and required environmental protection measures.

Required all covered projects to be conducted in accordance with the Statewide Fuels Reduction Environmental Protection Plan (issued May 2025), which serves as the primary environmental safeguard replacing individual permits and CEQA review.

Created an 'expedited authorization' that waives compliance with state statutes, rules, regulations, and requirements within the jurisdiction of the consolidated review agencies and replaces any other state-level permit, agreement, or authorization for the project.

Limited eligible projects to those less than 3,000 acres in size and completed within two years of approval by the consolidated review agencies.

Required the consolidated review agencies to review the State Environmental Protection Plan, conduct inspections and monitoring of a subset of projects, and post recommendations on their websites by July 1, 2029.

Minor corrections to the retained Wildfire Fund reporting provisions: fixed 'meaning' to 'meanings,' removed redundant 'Wildfire Fund' before 'fund assets,' and corrected a comma in the reinsurance language.