20250AB__203796AMD INTRODUCED 2026-02-17 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2026-04-09 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2026-04-23 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2026-05-18 2025 AB AMD Introduced by Assembly Member Patterson LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Patterson

An act to add and repeal

Article 7 (commencing with

Section 9180) of

Chapter of Division 8.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to older adults. older adults Wildfire Mitigation Aging and Disability Grant Pilot Program. Existing law, the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, establishes the California Department of Aging in the California Health and Human Services Agency and sets forth its mission to provide leadership to the area agencies on aging in developing systems of home- and community-based services that maintain individuals in their own homes or the least restrictive homelike environments.

This bill would establish the Wildfire Mitigation Aging and Disability Grant Pilot Program to be administered by the California Department of Aging through specified area agencies on aging, including Planning and Service Areas 4, 29, and 33. Upon appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes, the bill would award grants, based on specified criteria, to seniors and individuals with disabilities to mitigate against wildfires on properties they own that they would not otherwise be able to protect with existing resources.

The bill would require the area agencies on aging to award grants on a competitive basis and would require applications to contain specified information, including proof of need. The bill would also authorize the grant funding to be used towards the costs associated with hiring contractors or other qualified service providers to perform wildfire mitigation activities. The bill would also require the area agencies on aging to retain specified information and report that information to the department upon the completion of the pilot program, including the number of applicants and the amount of money distributed.

This bill would make these provisions inoperative on January 1, 2030, and would repeal these provisions on that date. MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION

Article 7 (commencing with

Section 9180) is added to

Chapter of Division 8.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code , to read: 7. Wildfire Mitigation Aging and Disability Grant Pilot Program 9180. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (

a) Fires in California have caused untold harm and suffering. (

b) Fires are especially dangerous to seniors and those with disabilities. (

c) This program is necessary to aid seniors and those with disabilities in protecting themselves and their homes from fires. 9181. (

a) The Wildfire Mitigation Aging and Disability Grant Pilot Program is hereby established. (

b) The purpose of this pilot program is to allow seniors and individuals with disabilities to take actions to mitigate against wildfires on properties they own that they would not otherwise be able to take with existing resources. 9182. (

a) The Wildfire Mitigation Aging and Disability Grant Pilot Program shall be administered by the California Department of Aging through the Planning and Service Areas 4, 29, and 33. (

b) The area agencies on aging shall award grants on a competitive basis. An applicant shall be eligible for a grant if all of the following criteria are met:

(1) The applicant is an older adult or individual with a disability.

(2) The applicant occupies the property as a primary residence.

(3) The applicant owns or lawfully occupies the property.

(4) The property is in a designated moderate, high, or very high fire hazard severity zone under the CalFire Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps. 9183. An application shall include, at minimum, all of the following: (

a) A verification that an individual is years of age or older or has a disability as defined under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (Part 2.8 (commencing with

Section 12900) of Division of Title of the Government Code). (

b) Identification of the property and its wildfire risk designation under the CalFire Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps. (

c) A description of proposed mitigation measures. (

d) Proof of need, which may be satisfied with proof of income. 9184. Services provided pursuant to this

chapter may include, but are not limited to, costs associated with hiring contractors or other qualified service providers to perform wildfire mitigation activities. Grant funding may be used to support any of the following: (

a) Vegetation management and defensible space creation. (

b) Tree trimming or removal of hazardous or dead trees. (

c) Removal and lawful disposal of combustible debris from roofs, gutters, and areas adjacent to structures. (

d) Installation of ember-resistant vents or other exterior hardening measures. 9185. The area agencies on aging shall retain the following information, as available, and upon completion of the pilot program, shall report to the department all of the following: (

a) The number of applicants. (

b) The amount of money distributed. (

c) The mitigation measures proposed as necessary by the applicant. <caml:Num>9186.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_1BAF190D-B631-41C1-9A71-68F0019385CC"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>The sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Aging to implement the provisions of this article.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection>"?> 9186. The program provided for under this

article shall be implemented only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes. 9187. This

article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.