Senate BillChaptered/SignedHealth and Safety
SB 514: Wildfire prevention: qualified entities: assessments: California Fire Service Training and Education Program Act.
What SB 514 does, verified December 6, 2025
This bill amends existing wildfire prevention laws to support and augment efforts in defensible space and home hardening assessment and education. It establishes a statewide program to allow qualified entities to support the department of forestry and fire protection in its efforts. These entities must complete a specific training program and are authorized to assess compliance with defensible space requirements. The bill also extends the operative date of the program and associated training indefinitely. Additionally, it allows nonprofit entities focused on wildfire resiliency to participate in the program and requires data collected from property owners to be anonymized and kept confidential. The bill also limits the use of data for compliance and enforcement purposes.
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Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 767, Statutes of 2025. (2025-10-13)Alert me
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| Oct. 13, 2025 | Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 767, Statutes of 2025. |
| Oct. 13, 2025 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Sep. 17, 2025 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m. |
| Sep. 09, 2025 | Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2716.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. |
| Sep. 08, 2025 | Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3005.) Ordered to the Senate. |
Latest bill textChaptered version, October 13, 2025 · 4,246 words
Senate Bill No. 514
CHAPTER 767
An act to amend Section 13159.5 of the Health and Safety Code, and Sections 4291.5 and 4291.6 of the Public Resources Code, relating to wildfire prevention.
[ Approved by Governor October 13, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 13, 2025. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 514, Cabaldon. Wildfire prevention: qualified entities: assessments: California Fire Service Training and Education Program Act.
Existing law requires the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection, until January 1, 2026, to establish a statewide program to allow qualified entities, as defined, who have completed a specific training program developed and administered by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to support and augment the department in its defensible space and home hardening assessment and education efforts. Existing law authorizes these qualified entities to, among other things, assess compliance with defensible space requirements applicable to the state responsibility area. Existing law requires the director to establish a common reporting platform that allows defensible space and home hardening assessment data, collected by qualifying entities, to be reported to the department, and authorizes the director to use this data for specified reasons.
This bill would revise and recast these provisions by, among other things, indefinitely extending the operative date of both the above-described statewide program and the associated training program for qualified entities. The bill would add nonprofit entities focused on wildfire resiliency to the list of qualified entities. The bill would authorize qualified entities to additionally assess compliance with defensible space requirements applicable to local responsibility areas, as provided. The bill would require specified data obtained voluntarily from property owners for purposes of the common reporting platform to be anonymized and kept confidential if requested by the property owner, and would prohibit that data from being used for compliance or enforcement purposes associated with ordinances that directly relate to defensible space and home hardening inspections unless specifically requested by the property owner. The bill would limit the data the director may use for specified purposes to that data gathered in response to requests related to compliance with defensible space requirements, and other data voluntarily provided by a property owner if authorized by the property owner, as provided.
Existing law establishes the California Fire Service Training and Education Program in the Office of the State Fire Marshal and requires the State Fire Marshal to make or encourage studies of any aspect of fire service training and education. Existing law requires the Office of the State Fire Marshal to develop and make available on its internet website a Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Safety Building Standards Compliance training intended for use in the training of local building officials, builders, and fire service personnel, as specified.
This bill would authorize the Office of the State Fire Marshal, as part of the California Fire Service Training and Education Program, to allow certification of contractors who conduct defensible space, home hardening, fuel reduction, roadside clearance, and other contracting activities for wildfire resiliency efforts and who have completed the above-described training program for qualified entities to support and augment the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in its defensible space and home hardening and education efforts or an equivalent program.
Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 13159.5 of the Health and Safety Code proposed by AB 1143 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1143 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 4291.5 and 4291.6 of the Public Resources Code proposed by AB 1457 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1457 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 13159.5 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:13159.5.
(a) The Office of the State Fire Marshal shall develop and make available on its internet website a Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Safety Building Standards Compliance training intended for use in the training of local building officials, builders, and fire service personnel. This training shall be updated as changes are made to Chapter 7A (commencing with Section 701A.1) of Part 2 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, or any appropriate successor regulatory code, and shall include any pertinent mandates for emergency power backup, including, but not limited to, battery backup requirements for automatic garage door openers.(b) The Office of the State Fire Marshal may allow certification of contractors who conduct defensible space, home hardening, fuel reduction, roadside clearance, and other contracting activities for wildfire resiliency efforts and who have completed the training program developed pursuant to Section 4291.6 of the Public Resources Code or an equivalent program.
(c) The Office of the State Fire Marshal shall develop and update on a regular basis a Wildland-Urban Interface Products listing of products and construction assemblies that comply with Chapter 7A (commencing with Section 701A.1) of Part 2 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, or any appropriate successor regulatory code, for products such as the following:
(1) Exterior wall siding and sheathing.
(2) Exterior windows, skylights, and doors.
(3) Vents, including eave and cornice vents.
(4) Decking.
(5) Treated lumber and ignition-resistant materials.
(6) Roofing materials.
(7) Emergency battery power backup for automatic garage door openers.
(d) In researching and developing the products listing and the educational and training provisions under this section, the Office of the State Fire Marshal is authorized to expend funds from the Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund, upon an appropriation by the Legislature, pursuant to Section 18931.7.
SEC. 1.5.
Section 13159.5 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:13159.5.
(a) The Office of the State Fire Marshal shall develop and make available on its internet website a Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Safety Building Standards Compliance training intended for use in the training of local building officials, builders, and fire service personnel. This training shall be updated as changes are made to Chapter 7A (commencing with Section 701A.1) of Part 2 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, or any appropriate successor regulatory code, and shall include any pertinent mandates for emergency power backup, including, but not limited to, battery backup requirements for automatic garage door openers.(b) The Office of the State Fire Marshal may allow certification of contractors who conduct defensible space, home hardening, fuel reduction, roadside clearance, and other contracting activities for wildfire resiliency efforts and who have completed the training program developed pursuant to Section 4291.6 of the Public Resources Code or an equivalent program.
(c) The Office of the State Fire Marshal shall develop and update on a regular basis a Wildland-Urban Interface Products listing of products and construction assemblies that comply with Chapter 7A (commencing with Section 701A.1) of Part 2 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, or any appropriate successor regulatory code, for products such as the following:
(1) Exterior wall siding and sheathing.
(2) Exterior windows, skylights, and doors.
(3) Vents, including eave and cornice vents.
(4) Decking.
(5) Treated lumber and ignition-resistant materials.
(6) Roofing materials.
(7) Emergency battery power backup for automatic garage door openers.
(d) In researching and developing the products listing, the educational and training provisions, and developing the home hardening certification program under this section, the Office of the State Fire Marshal is authorized to expend funds from the Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund, upon an appropriation by the Legislature, pursuant to Section 18931.7.
(e) On or before January 1, 2027, the State Fire Marshal’s Wildfire Mitigation Advisory Committee, established pursuant to Section 4209.4 of the Public Resources Code, shall develop a home hardening certification program that identifies home hardening measures, including defensible space, that can be implemented during renovation or property improvement projects, or both, to substantially reduce the risk of loss during a fire and bring existing building stock into alignment with the provisions adopted in the California Building Code (Part 7 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations).
SEC. 2.
Section 4291.5 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:4291.5.
(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:(1) “Home hardening” means the replacement or repair of structural features that are affixed to the property with features that are in compliance with Chapter 7A (commencing with Section 701A.1) of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations.
(2) “Property owner” means a person described in subdivision (a) of Section 4291 of this code or subdivision (a) of Section 51182 of the Government Code.
(3) “Qualified entities” means the following entities that have completed the program developed, and received a certification, pursuant to Section 4291.6:
(A) Counties, state conservancies, special districts, and other political subdivisions of the state.
(B) Members of the California Conservation Corps, the Board of Commissioners under CaliforniaVolunteers described in Section 8411 of the Government Code, local conservation corps, resource conservation districts, fire safe councils, Firewise USA organizations, and nonprofit entities focused on wildfire resiliency.
(C) University of California fire advisors.
(D) Registered Professional Foresters.
(E) Other entities or individuals deemed appropriate by the director.
(4) “Wildfire safety improvements” means wildfire resilience and fire safety improvements, including measures for home hardening, the creation of defensible space, and other appropriate fuel reduction activities, to residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other real property identified by the State Fire Marshal, in consultation with the director.
(b) The director shall establish a statewide program to allow qualified entities to support and augment the department in its defensible space and home hardening assessment and education efforts. Qualified entities participating in the program shall be authorized by the director to conduct defensible space assessments to assess compliance with Section 4291 within the state responsibility area, to assess compliance with Section 51182 of the Government Code within local responsibility areas, educate property owners about wildfire safety improvements that may be undertaken to harden a structure and make it more resistant to fire, and assess whether wildfire safety improvements have been completed in or on a structure.
(c) (1) The director shall establish a common reporting platform that allows defensible space and home hardening assessment data, collected by the qualified entities, to be reported to the department and shall establish any necessary quality control measure to ensure that the assessment data is accurate and reliable. Data obtained voluntarily from a property owner for reasons other than responding to a request related to compliance with Section 4291 of this code or Section 51182 of the Government Code shall be anonymized and kept confidential if requested by the property owner, and shall not be used for compliance or enforcement purposes associated with ordinances that directly relate to defensible space and home hardening inspections unless specifically requested by the property owner.
(2) The department shall compile the data submitted pursuant to paragraph (1).
(d) The director may use the defensible space and home hardening assessment data that is gathered in response to requests related to compliance with Section 4291 of this code or Section 51182 of the Government Code, and other data voluntarily provided by a property owner if authorized by the property owner, to do any of the following:
(1) Direct inspection and enforcement resources away from landowners who meet or exceed the department’s standards and regulations for maintaining defensible space.
(2) Direct inspection and enforcement resources toward landowners who do not meet the department’s standards and regulations for maintaining defensible space.
(3) Direct educational resources toward landowners who own or maintain structures that can be hardened to make them more resistant to fire.
(4) Assist in estimating defensible space compliance in the state responsibility area.
(e) The department may expand or amend existing programs for the implementation of this section.
(f) This section does not grant any right of entry onto private land or regulatory or enforcement authority to participating qualified entities.
(g) Any local governmental entity that is qualified to conduct defensible space assessments pursuant to this section in very high and high fire hazard severity zones, as identified by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 51178 of the Government Code or Article 9 (commencing with Section 4201) of this chapter or by a local agency pursuant to Section 51179 of the Government Code, and reports that information to the department, shall report that information using the common reporting platform established pursuant to subdivision (c).
(h) (1) On December 31, 2023, and annually thereafter, the department shall report to the Legislature all defensible space data collected pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (c). The report may include information on the proportion of unique parcels that were inspected, the degree of compliance with requirements set forth in Section 4291 of this code and Section 51182 of the Government Code, any enforcement actions that may have been taken for noncompliant parcels, and the proportion of parcels that were found to be in compliance across jurisdictions. At minimum, the report shall include data with sufficient detail to facilitate comparisons of community compliance with the requirements of Section 4291 of this code and Section 51182 of the Government Code between local governmental entities qualified to conduct defensible space assessments pursuant to this section and local governmental entities that are not.
(2) A report submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
SEC. 2.5.
Section 4291.5 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:4291.5.
(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:(1) “Home hardening” means the replacement or repair of structural features that are affixed to the property with features that are in compliance with Chapter 7A (commencing with Section 701A.1) of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations.
(2) “Property owner” means a person described in subdivision (a) of Section 4291 of this code or subdivision (a) of Section 51182 of the Government Code.
(3) “Qualified entities” means the following entities that have completed the program developed, and received a certification, pursuant to Section 4291.6:
(A) Counties, state conservancies, special districts, and other political subdivisions of the state.
(B) Members of the California Conservation Corps, the Board of Commissioners under CaliforniaVolunteers described in Section 8411 of the Government Code, local conservation corps, resource conservation districts, fire safe councils, Firewise USA organizations, and nonprofit entities focused on wildfire resiliency.
(C) University of California fire advisers.
(D) Registered Professional Foresters.
(E) Other entities or individuals deemed appropriate by the director.
(4) “Wildfire safety improvements” means wildfire resilience and fire safety improvements, including measures for home hardening, the creation of defensible space, and other appropriate fuel reduction activities, to residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other real property identified by the State Fire Marshal, in consultation with the director.
(b) The director shall establish a statewide program to allow qualified entities to support and augment the department in its defensible space and home hardening assessment and education efforts. Qualified entities participating in the program shall be authorized by the director to conduct defensible space assessments to assess compliance with Section 4291 within the state responsibility area, to assess compliance with Section 51182 of the Government Code within local responsibility areas, educate property owners about wildfire safety improvements that may be undertaken to harden a structure and make it more resistant to fire, and assess whether wildfire safety improvements have been completed in or on a structure.
(c) (1) The director shall establish a common reporting platform that allows defensible space and home hardening assessment data, collected by the qualified entities, to be reported to the department and shall establish any necessary quality control measure to ensure that the assessment data is accurate and reliable. Data obtained voluntarily from a property owner for reasons other than responding to a request related to compliance with Section 4291 of this code or Section 51182 of the Government Code shall be anonymized and kept confidential if requested by the property owner, and shall not be used for compliance or enforcement purposes associated with ordinances that directly relate to defensible space and home hardening inspections unless specifically requested by the property owner.
(2) The department shall compile the data submitted pursuant to paragraph (1).
(d) The director may use the defensible space and home hardening assessment data that is gathered in response to requests related to compliance with Section 4291 of this code or Section 51182 of the Government Code, and other data voluntarily provided by a property owner if authorized by the property owner, to do any of the following:
(1) Direct inspection and enforcement resources away from landowners who meet or exceed the department’s standards and regulations for maintaining defensible space.
(2) Direct inspection and enforcement resources toward landowners who do not meet the department’s standards and regulations for maintaining defensible space.
(3) Direct educational resources toward landowners who own or maintain structures that can be hardened to make them more resistant to fire.
(4) Assist in estimating defensible space compliance in the state responsibility area.
(e) The department may expand or amend existing programs for the implementation of this section.
(f) This section does not grant any right of entry onto private land or regulatory or enforcement authority to participating qualified entities.
(g) Any local governmental entity that is qualified to conduct defensible space assessments pursuant to this section in very high and high fire hazard severity zones, as identified by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 51178 of the Government Code or Article 9 (commencing with Section 4201) of this chapter or by a local agency pursuant to Section 51179 of the Government Code, and reports that information to the department, shall report that information using the common reporting platform established pursuant to subdivision (c).
(h) (1) On December 31, 2023, and annually thereafter, the department shall report to the Legislature all defensible space data collected pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (c). The report may include information on the proportion of unique parcels that were inspected, the degree of compliance with requirements set forth in Section 4291 of this code and Section 51182 of the Government Code, any enforcement actions that may have been taken for noncompliant parcels, and the proportion of parcels that were found to be in compliance across jurisdictions. At minimum, the report shall include data with sufficient detail to facilitate comparisons of community compliance with the requirements of Section 4291 of this code and Section 51182 of the Government Code between local governmental entities qualified to conduct defensible space assessments pursuant to this section and local governmental entities that are not.
(2) A report submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
SEC. 3.
Section 4291.6 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:4291.6.
(a) (1) The Legislature finds and declares that the use of trained volunteers to assist homeowners and fire agencies in achieving compliance with defensible space requirements will provide multiple benefits, including all of the following:(A) Creating a significant public benefit by reducing the risk of the spread of wildfire.
(B) Creating significant savings for fire agencies by increasing general compliance with defensible space requirements, and thereby reducing the volume of inspections required by public agencies.
(C) Allowing fire agencies to focus their defensible space regulatory enforcement on landowners who are not in compliance after suggestions for voluntary compliance from trained volunteers.
(2) It is further the intent of the Legislature that the department do both of the following:
(A) Establish a pilot program using trained volunteers with any costs for the pilot project coming from the existing funds made available to the department from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created pursuant to Section 16428.8 of the Government Code.
(B) Consider using the services of the California Fire Science Consortium and the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity program at the Natural Resources Agency to implement this section.
(b) The department shall develop and implement a training program to train individuals to support and augment the department in its defensible space and home hardening assessment and public education efforts. The training program shall do both of the following:
(1) Provide for consistent training for third-party assessors who shall function to provide nonregulatory assistance to homeowners to reduce fire risk and to achieve compliance with defensible space requirements.
(2) Ensure that all defensible space and home hardening assessment and education programs undertaken by the department and by third parties are conducted to the same standard and use coordinated messaging, including messages at www.readyforwildfire.org or a successor internet website, as updated by the department.
(c) Upon an individual’s successful completion of the training program, the department shall issue a certification of completion to the individual.
SEC. 3.5.
Section 4291.6 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:4291.6.
(a) (1) The Legislature finds and declares that the use of trained volunteers to assist homeowners and fire agencies in achieving compliance with defensible space requirements will provide multiple benefits, including all of the following:(A) Creating a significant public benefit by reducing the risk of the spread of wildfire.
(B) Creating significant savings for fire agencies by increasing general compliance with defensible space requirements, and thereby reducing the volume of inspections required by public agencies.
(C) Allowing fire agencies to focus their defensible space regulatory enforcement on landowners who are not in compliance after suggestions for voluntary compliance from trained volunteers.
(2) It is further the intent of the Legislature that the department do both of the following:
(A) Establish a pilot program using trained volunteers with any costs for the pilot project coming from the existing funds made available to the department from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created pursuant to Section 16428.8 of the Government Code.
(B) Consider using the services of the California Fire Science Consortium and the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity program at the Natural Resources Agency to implement this section.
(b) The department shall develop and implement a training program to train individuals to support and augment the department in its defensible space and home hardening assessment and public education efforts. The training program shall do all of the following:
(1) Provide for consistent training for third-party assessors who shall function to provide nonregulatory assistance to homeowners to reduce fire risk and to achieve compliance with defensible space requirements.
(2) Ensure that all defensible space and home hardening assessment and education programs undertaken by the department and by third parties are conducted to the same standard and use coordinated messaging, including messages at www.readyforwildfire.org or a successor internet website, as updated by the department.
(3) Beginning July 1, 2026, provide training consistent with the “Home Ignition Zone/Defensible Space Inspector” course plan, established by the State Fire Marshal, in order to ensure that individuals are trained to conduct home ignition zone inspections.
(c) Upon an individual’s successful completion of the training program, the department shall issue a certification of completion to the individual.
SEC. 4.
The Legislature finds and declares that Section 2 of this act, which amends Section 4291.5 of the Public Resources Code, imposes a limitation on the public’s right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies within the meaning of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution. Pursuant to that constitutional provision, the Legislature makes the following findings to demonstrate the interest protected by this limitation and the need for protecting that interest:This limitation is necessary in order to increase participation in the defensible space and home hardening assessment and education program established by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which educates and assists high fire risk communities in making their homes and surrounding area more resilient to wildfire.
SEC. 5.
(a) Section 1.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 13159.5 of the Health and Safety Code proposed by both this bill and Assembly Bill 1143. That section of this bill shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2026, (2) each bill amends Section 13159.5 of the Health and Safety Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Assembly Bill 1143, in which case Section 1 of this bill shall not become operative.(b) Section 2.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 4291.5 of the Public Resources Code proposed by both this bill and Assembly Bill 1457. That section of this bill shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2026, (2) each bill amends Section 4291.5 of the Public Resources Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Assembly Bill 1457, in which case Section 2 of this bill shall not become operative.
(c) Section 3.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 4291.6 of the Public Resources Code proposed by both this bill and Assembly Bill 1457. That section of this bill shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2026, (2) each bill amends Section 4291.6 of the Public Resources Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Assembly Bill 1457, in which case Section 3 of this bill shall not become operative.
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