From Mitigation to Recovery & Accountability State Senator Move Forward Policies on Wildfire Reform

What you need to know: Since January, the Senate has sought to tackle several issues affecting wildfire recovery, mitigation, and accountability. As a result, senators passed eleven policies in these areas with wildfire survivors at the center of their efforts.
 

SACRAMENTO – In the wake of the state’s largest and most destructive wildfires, the California State Senate passed urgent policies that seek to address both the aftermath and prevention of devastating wildfires. This year, the Senate passed numerous policies focused on supporting survivors in their recovery, taking actionable steps to incentivize accountability, and mitigating the destruction of these wildfires in the first place. 

“The California State Senate has worked tirelessly this legislative session to help communities recover from wildfires. As a Senator who has experienced devastating wildfires in my own backyard, I know what the impact looks and feels like to our communities. 

The Senate is proud to put forth policies that support survivors, protect consumers, and mitigate the destruction of these wildfires in the first place.”

 

Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón

Four of the state’s deadliest fires have happened in the last decade, putting significant strain on California families. Unfortunately, the likelihood that there may be another large wildfire as the state wades through peak fire season is high, marking an urgency for the state to deliver relief for survivors, consumers, and Californians. The Senate has taken action to address these issues by strengthening critical consumer protections, ensuring policyholders have the resources they are owed, and keeping Californians in their homes. 

Californians are paying some of the highest electricity rates in the country, and the status quo is simply not sustainable. For too long, our system has rewarded utilities for spending more because the more they invest, the more they can earn. SB 905 starts changing that equation by aligning utility incentives with what ratepayers actually need, which is safe, reliable power at the lowest possible cost.” 

 

Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park)

For the last two years, the state’s largest IOUs have raked in billions, despite their equipment sparking devastating wildfires that have cost survivors their homes, rocked the state’s economy, and impacted ratepayers' energy bills. Utility-sparked wildfires should not lead to record-setting profits – ever. That is why the Senate has moved forward to hold utilities accountable and lower the cost for ratepayers. 

“My SB 742, The Wildfire & Emergency Management Act, would require investor-owned utilities to remove abandoned and decommissioned powerlines like the one that started the Eaton Fire. That powerline had been out of service since 1971 and could have been removed well before this tragedy struck. No additional communities should be forced to experience the kind of pain and devastation that my constituents in Altadena have suffered. This bill would also require electrical utilities to collaborate with regional emergency operation centers to ensure effective communication with local and public safety partners during an emergency. I’m proud that the Senate has passed this legislation to protect our state from more devastating fires.”

 

Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena)

BILLS PENDING ACTION ON THE GOVERNOR’S DESK

Holding Utilities Accountable and Lower Costs for Consumers

SB 742 (Pérez) – Requires the removal of permanently decommissioned power lines and requires utilities to collaborate with regional emergency centers to better navigate wildfire and emergency response situations.

SB 905 (Becker) – Develops processes at the PUC that prioritize IOUs spending money better, not spending more money. This bill looks at ways to reduce excessive profits and lower financing costs so that we′re not overcharging consumers for the investments that really are necessary.

SB 1098 (Pérez) – Establishes clear standards for the use of IOU memorandum and balancing accounts and protects consumers from unchecked cost increases while still allowing utilities the ability to manage their expenses reasonably. 

Making Communities Safer from Catastrophic Wildfire Through Community Resilience, Mitigation, and Home Hardening

SB 894 (Allen) – Establishes a California Wildfire Resilience Loan Program to provide financial assistance for projects and activities to reduce wildfire-related risks and losses, including home hardening and defensible space improvements.

SB 973 (Becker and Stern) – Codifies the existing County Coordinator Program in state law to expand the program and create a long-term, sustainable mechanism for community-level execution of state strategy, tailored to meet local needs.

SB 1079 (Stern) – Establishes a Fire Innovation Unit at the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as well as an Emergency Services Innovation Unit within the Office of Emergency Services to support wildfire technology research, coordination, procurement and deployment for innovative and emerging wildfire technologies. 

SB 1370 (Stern and Becker) – Codifies the Governor's streamlined permitting at the Natural Resources Agency (NRA) and the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) for specified wildfire mitigation projects established under a 2025 executive emergency proclamation.

BILLS ACTED ON BY THE GOVERNOR

Insurance Reforms to Protect Consumers and Depopulate FAIR Plan

SB 876 (Padilla) - Reforms California’s insurance claims process so families can recover quickly and fairly after a disaster. Signed into law

SB 877 (Pérez) – Ensures transparency and accountability for insurance claims by requiring insurance providers to document and disclose all claim documents, including loss estimates, to the policyholder. Veto

SB 878 (Pérez) – Strengthens existing prompt-payment insurance laws by imposing automatic interest penalties when insurers delay making coverage decisions or issuing payments. Veto

SB 1301 (Allen) – Helps stem the tide of policyholders forced to acquire coverage from the FAIR Plan by creating a longer nonrenewal notice timeline and providing consumers more ability to remedy issues with their current carrier. Signed into law