Committee approves AB 247 to raise pay for incarcerated wildfire hand crews to federal minimum wage

The California State Assembly Appropriations Committee voted 9-0 on June 3, 2025, to pass AB 247, a bill that would require incarcerated hand crew members who actively fight wildfires to be paid at least the federal minimum wage.

The measure, presented to the committee by Assemblymember Bridal, aims to ensure “nobody fighting a wildfire gets paid less than the federal minimum wage,” Bridal said during the hearing. The committee approved the bill after brief questions and discussion about cost, annual adjustment mechanisms and who would bear the expense.

AB 247 was amended before the hearing to explicitly include the Pine Grove Conservation Camp after concerns that the camp might be omitted. Bridal told members earlier in the hearing that initial fiscal analysis had estimated pay parity at roughly $19 an hour — a figure tied to nonincarcerated wildfire crews — but amendments reduced the proposal to require the federal minimum wage in order to lower projected state costs.

Several committee members expressed support for the concept but pressed for clarity about implementation and long-term costs. "First of all, I'm very supportive conceptually of inmates working on the fire lines," Assemblymember Dixon said, adding, "I just need some clarification. So how do we know how much it's going to cost? ... How it will be adjusted annually is something we still want to continue conversations going into the second house." Dixon voted present/not voting on the final roll call.

Assemblymember Tangapak asked whether increases in pay could reduce opportunities if local or state budgets were constrained, asking, "do you have any fears that ... this will actually lead to less opportunities because you can't pay those inmates, to do the necessary work or even earn those credits?" Bridal replied that the cost burden is expected to be absorbed at the state level through Cal Fire and that the bill raises on-fire pay from current small per-day amounts to at least the federal minimum; Bridal said the $1 on-fire bonus administered through Cal Fire would increase under the bill and that the state — not local municipalities — would cover the change.

Members who spoke in support described incarcerated hand crews as essential to wildfire response and said the bill was intended to provide greater dignity and fairer pay for those crews. Assemblymember Pacheco said she supported the bill and noted the physical demands of wildland firefighting; Assemblymember Pellerin asked to be added as a coauthor during the hearing.

The committee conducted a roll call vote on the single-bill hearing. The clerk announced a 9-0 vote in favor and stated, "That bill is out." The committee did not hold the roll open. The motion recorded was a "do pass" recommendation to the next committee or fiscal process. Several members were listed as not voting on the record.

The hearing record shows the bill was returned to committee with clarifying amendments prior to this hearing and that members asked staff to review cost implications of late amendments in the future. No formal opponents were listed in the hearing room and no prime witnesses were recorded in opposition during this hearing.

Next steps: AB 247 will proceed from the Appropriations Committee with the committee's do-pass recommendation and the amendments presented on the record; additional fiscal details and any further amendments will be considered as the bill moves to subsequent House stages.