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Assembly committee advances bill to pay incarcerated hand crews at least federal minimum wage
Summary
The Assembly Appropriations Committee voted 9-0 on June 3 to advance AB 247, which would require incarcerated hand crews fighting wildfires to be paid at least the federal minimum wage; members raised questions about cost, annual adjustments and effects on program size.
SACRAMENTO — The Assembly Appropriations Committee on June 3 voted to advance AB 247, a bill that would require incarcerated hand crew members who are actively fighting wildfires to receive pay at least equal to the federal minimum wage.
“AB 247 is a bill that will ensure incarcerated hand crew members who are actively fighting wildfires ... receive fair compensation for their essential role in protecting communities,” Assemblymember Bridal, the bill’s author, told the committee. “Essentially, it ensures that nobody fighting a wildfire gets paid less than the federal minimum wage.”
The bill drew broad support in committee but also questions about cost and how annual adjustments to pay would be determined. Committee members and the author described amendments made before the hearing that narrowed the measure’s cost impact and explicitly enumerated specific conservation camps, including the Pine…
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