20250AB__138096AMD INTRODUCED 2025-02-21 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-03-24 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-04-10 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-05-23 2025 AB AMD Introduced by Assembly Member Elhawary LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Elhawary

An act to add

Chapter 2 (commencing with

Section 4960) to Part of Division of the Public Resources Code, relating to wildfires. wildfires Wildland firefighters: Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program. Existing law establishes in the Natural Resources Agency the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and requires the department to be responsible for, among other things, fire protection and prevention, as provided. Existing law establishes the California Conservation Camp program for the purpose of having incarcerated persons work on projects supervised by the department.

Existing law requires the department to utilize incarcerated persons assigned to conservation camps in performing fire prevention, fire control, and other work at the department. This bill would require the department to, in partnership with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the California Conservation Camp program, implement a standardized process to ensure that all individuals who complete the department’s firefighting training program (FFT program) while incarcerated receive official written certification before their release, as specified.

The bill would require the department to, on or before January 1, 2027, ensure a minimum percentage of Fire Fighter classification positions are reserved for the hiring of formerly incarcerated individuals, as provided.</xhtml:p>"?> The bill would require the department to, on or before January 1, 2027, award hiring preference under Category Placement to qualified formerly incarcerated individuals who apply for positions with the department.

The bill would also require the department to track the number of incarcerated individuals who have completed the FFT program and are set to be released within days, develop and implement policies and procedures to track and report the outcomes of the Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program, and report annually to the Legislature on the implementation and effectiveness of the program, as provided. The bill would make these provisions operative only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes, as provided.

MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 2 (commencing with

Section 4960) is added to Part of Division of the Public Resources Code , to read: 2. Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program 4960. (a)

(1) Within six months from the date this

chapter becomes operative, as described in subdivision (g), the department shall, in partnership with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the California Conservation Camp program, implement a standardized process to ensure that all individuals who successfully complete the department’s firefighting training program (FFT program) while incarcerated receive official written certification before their release from prison.

(2) The official written certification pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include, but is not limited to, the following certifications: (A)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>L­180 Human Factors in the Wildland Fire Service.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(B)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>S­130 Wildland Fire Safety Training.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(C)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>S­190 Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(D)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Public Safety First Aid.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(E)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Fire Protection Orientation.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(F)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Confined Space Rescue Awareness.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(G)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Fire Fighter 1B: HazMat Certificate.</xhtml:p>"?> (

A) CAL-FIRE Forestry Training. (

B) S-190 Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior. (

b) On or before January 1, 2027, the department shall award hiring preference under Category Placement to qualified formerly incarcerated individuals who apply for positions with the department. (

c) Nothing in this

section shall preclude the department from placing a formerly incarcerated person in a higher category for hiring based on their level of training, certification, employment history, or other factors. (1)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Subject to the receipt of a sufficient quantity of job applications from qualified formerly incarcerated individuals, the department shall reserve at least fifteen percent of all vacant Fire Fighter classification positions each year for the hiring of qualified formerly incarcerated individuals.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(2)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>If in any year the department does not receive enough applications from qualified formerly incarcerated individuals to meet the percentage threshold pursuant to paragraph (1), the department shall nevertheless remain in compliance with this subdivision if the following conditions are meet:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(A)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The department took meaningful steps to recruit qualified formerly incarcerated individuals to comply with paragraph (1).</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(B)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The department hired all qualified formerly incarcerated individuals who submitted an application that year.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)</xhtml:p>"?> (

d) The department shall, in partnership with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, track the number of incarcerated individuals who have completed the FFT program and are set to be released from prison within days. (d)</xhtml:p>"?> (

e) Nothing in this

section shall preclude other state agencies with wildland management responsibilities from establishing similar pathways to support wildfire prevention, mitigation, and response efforts with priority hiring reserved for formerly incarcerated individuals who completed the FFT program. (e)</xhtml:p>"?> (

f) The department shall develop and implement policies and procedures to track and report the outcomes of this chapter, including, but not limited to, the number of participants hired, retention rates, and career advancement opportunities. (f)</xhtml:p>"?> (g)

(1) For three years from the date this

chapter becomes operative, as described in subdivision (h), the department shall submit an annual report to the Legislature on the implementation and effectiveness of this chapter, including recommendations for improvement.

(2) A report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with

Section of the Government Code. (g)</xhtml:p>"?> (

h) This

chapter shall become operative only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or any other statute. (h)</xhtml:p>"?> (

i) For the purposes of this section, “qualified formerly incarcerated individual” means any formerly incarcerated individual who completed the FFT program and has a valid certification pursuant to subdivision (a).