Cal OES, Cal Fire and LAO outline Prop 4 wildfire mitigation spending choices; legislators weigh timing and program design

The Senate subcommittee took testimony on a proposed wildfire mitigation grant program funded by Proposition 4 bond proceeds and administered by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and Cal Fire. Officials described funding priorities, how state bond funds could be used to match federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) awards, and asked the Legislature to consider program design and timing.

Cal OES proposed prioritizing neighborhood‑scale home hardening and defensible space grants for communities on the state's high fire‑risk lists and for disadvantaged communities. Cal OES said it intends to leverage FEMA HMGP dollars as federal match where possible and to provide technical assistance, environmental compliance support and project tracking to expedite grants to local entities.

Key program design issues

- Depth vs. breadth: LAO advised a critical policy choice is whether to fund fewer structures with deeper interventions (more dollars per structure) or reach more structures with smaller grants. The administration's proposed multi‑year plan leans toward leveraging FEMA match and financing a sequence of allocations across years, but the LAO suggested the Legislature may wish to set program design priorities before committing to a multi‑year disbursement schedule. - Matching federal funds: Cal OES emphasized that FEMA HMGP match would increase the number of properties that can be mitigated, but pairing federal dollars introduces additional regulatory and environmental compliance work (NEPA/Section 106), which slows implementation. The administration proposed funding state positions and technical assistance to help local communities meet federal eligibility and environmental documentation requirements. - Pilot programs: Cal OES described the California Wildfire Mitigation Program (CWMP) pilot operating in six communities (San Diego County Fire Protection District; Shasta County Fire Safe Council; North Coast Opportunities in Lake County; El Dorado Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience; Tuolumne County OES and Riverside County; and a Shasta Valley Resource Conservation District project), and said it has received notices of interest from roughly 58 communities.

Timing and legislative choices

LAO counsel Rachel Ehlers told the committee that while the bond earmarks $135 million for a wildfire mitigation grant program, the Legislature must decide how to design the program and whether to approve a multi‑year spending plan now or wait for more detailed program rules and federal matching clarity. "For programs like this where there are key policy decisions and federal matching uncertainties, you may want to hold off on approving a multi‑year spending plan and ask the administration to return with more detailed implementation plans," Ehlers said.

Committee questions and clarifications

Members asked whether conservancies and nonprofits could serve as pass‑through grantees. Cal OES said eligibility depends on FEMA guidelines but that the bond contains other specific conservancy allocations; Cal OES agreed to provide a detailed list of eligible subapplicants and application materials. Lawmakers also requested clarity on county prioritization, the CWMP criteria and the technical assistance resources the administration is proposing to accelerate environmental compliance.

Discussion vs. decision

The subcommittee received proposals and alternatives and asked the administration to provide written materials: eligible applicant types, CWMP pilot details, application processes and estimates of the cost to produce locality‑specific plans. There was no appropriation vote that day.

Ending

Lawmakers signaled interest in balancing speed (to address immediate wildfire risk) with careful program design to ensure funds reach neighborhoods and disadvantaged communities equitably. Cal OES offered to brief committee members on application processes and to provide estimates of costs to prepare locality‑specific plans.