Assembly BillFailedWater
AB 2013: High and very high fire risk areas: community water systems: preparedness and resiliency.
What AB 2013 does, verified August 4, 2026
This bill requires community water systems serving over 100 customers in high or very high fire risk areas to include a disaster preparedness plan annex in their disaster preparedness plans. The annex must assess the system's preparedness and resiliency during wildfires, including the minimum number and type of water pumps needed to maintain average daily capacity. The community water system must review the annex every three years, starting from January 1, 2028, and update it as necessary. The annex cannot increase or decrease existing liability, and the information it provides cannot alone demonstrate a substantial cause of damages from wildfires.
Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
2In CommitteeCurrent
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: From committee: Without further action pursuant to Joint Rule 62(a). (2026-05-07)Alert me
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions9 total · showing 5
| May. 07, 2026 | From committee: Without further action pursuant to Joint Rule 62(a). |
| Apr. 13, 2026 | In committee: Set, first hearing. Failed passage. |
| Apr. 07, 2026 | Re-referred to Com. on E.M. |
| Apr. 06, 2026 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on E.M. Read second time and amended. |
| Mar. 26, 2026 | (Pending re-refer to Com. on E.S. & T.M.) |
Latest bill textAmended version, April 6, 2026 · 1,244 words
| Amended IN Assembly April 06, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2013
| Introduced by Assembly Member Bennett (Coauthors: Assembly Members Ahrens, Alvarez, Bauer-Kahan, Connolly, Harabedian, and Hart) |
February 17, 2026 |
An act to add Part 2.25 (commencing with Section 10555) to Division 6 of the Water Code, relating to water resources.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2013, as amended, Bennett. Fire High and very high fire risk areas: water suppliers: emergency preparedness plan. community water systems: preparedness and resiliency.
Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to identify areas in the state as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones based on consistent statewide criteria and based on the severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in those areas. Existing law requires a local agency to designate, by ordinance, moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones in its jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving recommendations from the State Fire Marshal, as provided.
This bill would require a water supplier community water system that services more than 100 customers that are located in a moderate, high, high or very high fire hazard severity zone, as specified, to establish an emergency preparedness plan for response to red flag warnings, extreme weather events, and other major power outages or emergencies that pose a potential threat to providing adequate water service. risk area, as defined, to include an annex to its disaster preparedness plans, as provided, that includes information regarding system preparedness and resiliency during a wildfire. The bill would require the plan annex to contain several things, including, among others, an assessment that identifies the minimum number of and type of water pumps that are necessary to maintain water service for customers while providing an adequate water supply for fire fighting activities. average daily capacity, including, but not limited to, the operation of fire hydrant systems at the rated capacity. The bill would require the community water system, beginning January 1, 2028, to review the annex at least once every 3 years and to update the annex as necessary.
The bill would prohibit anything contained in the annex from enlarging or diminishing any existing liability and would prohibit information provided in the annex from, on its own, demonstrating a substantial cause of any damages resulting from a wildfire.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Part 2.25 (commencing with Section 10555) is added to Division 6 of the Water Code, to read:PART 2.25. Emergency Preparedness Planning
10555.
(a) For purposes of this part,(1) “Annex” means the annex required by subdivision (b).
(2) “Community water system” has the same meaning as in Section 116275 of the Health and Safety Code.
(3) “High or very high fire risk area” means a high or very high fire hazard severity zone as designated by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 51178 of the Government Code.
(b) A water supplier community water system that services more than 100 customers that are located in a moderate, high, or very high fire hazard severity zone as designated by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 51178 of the Government Code, or a local agency pursuant to Section 51179 of the Government Code, shall establish an emergency preparedness plan for response to red flag warnings, extreme weather events, and other major power outages or emergencies that pose a potential threat to providing adequate water service to the moderate, high, or very high fire hazard severity zone. high or very high fire risk area shall include an annex to its disaster preparedness plans with information regarding system preparedness and resiliency during a wildfire, including any applicable emergency response plan required by Section 1433(b) of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300i-2).
(c) A water supplier community water system is encouraged to develop a plan the annex in coordination with the county board of supervisors, or a county agency or department if one is designated an authority to coordinate with the water supplier by the county board of supervisors. any local office of emergency services and fire department with jurisdiction in the area served by the community water system.
(d) A plan The annex shall be submitted to the county board of supervisors or a county agency or department designated by the county board of supervisors pursuant to subdivision (c). supervisors.
(e) (1) A water supplier Beginning January 1, 2028, a community water system shall review the plan annex at least once every three years and shall update the plan annex as necessary.
(2) Updates to the plan annex shall be submitted to the county board of supervisors or a county agency or department designated by the county board of supervisors pursuant to subdivision (c). supervisors.
10556.
(a) The(a)(1)
(1) (A)
An assessment of the minimum water tank levels necessary to maintain(2)
(B)
The assessment shall take into consideration water quality standards and actions necessary to maintain water quality.(b)(1)
(2) (A)
An assessment that identifies the minimum number of and type of water pumps that are necessary to maintain(2)
(B)
The assessment shall identify the number of water pumps servicing the high or very high fire risk area that are equipped with emergency backup energy sources and identify the number of water pumps servicing the high or very high fire risk area that(c)
(3)
An(d)A detailed accounting of the pipelines, water pumps, water tanks, backup power generation facilities, and related infrastructure needs that are necessary to maintain water service for customers and provide adequate water supply for fire fighting activities during an extreme weather event and a designation for which of these pipelines, water pumps, water tanks, and backup power generation facilities are, or are required to be, fire hardened.
(4) (A) An assessment of the fire risk status and fire hardening measures for each water pump, any backup electrical generation equipment, applicable pipelines, and any other infrastructure elements that the community water system deems to be a critical point of failure, located in a high or very high fire risk area.
(B) This section does not change the confidentiality level for any information provided pursuant to paragraph (1).
(b) No information provided in the annex shall enlarge or diminish any existing liability, nor demonstrate, on its own, a substantial cause of any damages resulting from a wildfire.
Text of AB 2013 as amended, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions