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Committee hears bill to certify formerly incarcerated CAL FIRE hand‑crew members for firefighting careers

Committee on Public Employment and Retirement, California State Assembly · April 22, 2026
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Summary

Supporters told the Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement that AB 2483 would give formerly incarcerated CAL FIRE hand‑crew members official certificates and a fair path to firefighting jobs, arguing it recognizes experience and reduces recidivism; no committee vote was taken at the hearing.

AB 2483, introduced to the Committee on Public Employment and Retirement, would create a permanent pathway for people who served on CAL FIRE hand crews while incarcerated to obtain official certificates that make them eligible for firefighting positions after release.

The bill's presenter argued the measure turns on‑the‑job experience into credentialed opportunity. "If we trust individuals to fight our fires while incarcerated, we should be ready to hire them to do that same essential work when they come home," the presenter said during opening remarks.

Christine Seltzer Deberry, executive director…

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