Transfer of real property: fire hazard severity zones: compliance documentation.

The bill now amends Sections 408 and 480.4 of the Revenue and Taxation Code in addition to Section 1102.19 of the Civil Code, expanding its reach into property tax administration.

Section 408 of the Revenue and Taxation Code is amended to explicitly authorize the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, local fire departments, and fire protection districts to access records in the assessor's office.

The seller's notification obligation was changed from notifying the county assessor (who would then notify the fire department) to directly notifying the local fire department or Cal Fire, removing the assessor as an intermediary in the notification chain.

Buyers must now disclose on the Preliminary Change of Ownership Report whether they have an obligation to obtain fire safety compliance documentation within one year of closing escrow.

Section 480.4 of the Revenue and Taxation Code is amended to require the Preliminary Change of Ownership Report to include a question about whether the property is in a high or very high fire hazard severity zone and whether the buyer has a compliance obligation, notwithstanding the existing rule that the form may not include questions not germane to the assessment function.

County assessors are required to make available to Cal Fire and local fire agencies the property address and transferee name for any property where the transferee indicated on the PCOR that they have a compliance obligation in a high or very high fire hazard severity zone.

The state mandate finding now explicitly includes county assessors as local entities whose duties are increased, broadening the scope of the mandated program acknowledgment.

The notification pathway changed: sellers now notify the local fire department (or CalFire for state responsibility areas) directly of the written agreement, rather than only notifying the county assessor who then relays the information. The seller still provides a copy to the county assessor.

The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) is now explicitly named as the responsible entity for conducting compliance inspections when the property is within a state responsibility area, as defined in Public Resources Code Section 4125. The introduced version only referenced local fire departments.

Local fire departments or CalFire may delegate compliance check responsibility to a third-party nonprofit entity that it or the State Fire Marshal deems qualified to conduct defensible space programs and compliance inspections.

Compliance inspections and reinspections may now be conducted via in-person on-site inspection OR by remote verification using photographic evidence or documentation of completed work, giving property owners a less burdensome option.

The written agreement and documentation of compliance may be transmitted electronically or by hard copy, removing any ambiguity about acceptable delivery methods.

Local fire departments are authorized to prioritize compliance inspections and reinspections based on factors including wildfire risk and repetitive noncompliance, allowing them to focus resources where needed most.

A provision clarifies that the cost recovery authority does not modify immunities granted to local fire departments under Government Code Sections 815, 818.2, and 818.8, protecting agencies from liability exposure when conducting inspections.

Local fire departments may recover the costs of compliance inspections and reinspections pursuant to Health and Safety Code Sections 13146.2(c) and 13916. This is stated to be declaratory of existing law, not a change in law.

A new Section 3 provides that no state mandate reimbursement is required because local agencies have the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the mandated program, citing Government Code Section 17556. This shifts the financial burden entirely to local agencies and property owners.

The bill was reformatted from a traditional legislative document with line numbers and page breaks into a web page layout that adds navigation elements (home, FAQ, sitemap, search boxes, bill tracking links) around the same statutory text. The underlying policy content of all five sections remains identical.