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Bill would codify emergency rebuilding steps used after recent wildfires, author says
Summary
SB904 would require prompt, incident-specific reporting by HCD to identify permitting and code impediments to rebuilding after wildfire disasters; author said the LA County response averaged sub-30-day permit reviews and urged codifying lessons so communities recover faster.
Author Sayardo presented SB904 as a measure to make the expedited permitting and regulatory relief used after recent LA County wildfires a standard procedure for future state emergencies. “This bill will help to ensure no wildfire disaster communities get overlooked in future recovery efforts,” Sayardo said, arguing the measure would collect incident-specific information so the Legislature and agencies can act quickly.
Sayardo pointed to LA County permit-review performance — averaging under 30 days — and said roughly one in five homes lost had permits as of January 2026, which he contrasted with slower recoveries elsewhere. Committee members pressed whether the bill is effectively a study or reporting bill and whether it imposes new burdens on state agencies. Sayardo said the bill requires prompt reports and coordination so HCD and regulatory partners can identify impediments and streamline locally specific solutions.
Assemblymember Ward and others asked whether existing executive orders and prior legislation already cover many of the same activities; Sayardo said each fire presents distinct regulatory challenges and that codified reporting can surface learning to speed local recovery.
Outcome: The committee moved the bill out of the housing committee to the Assembly Emergency Management Committee for further consideration and amendments; the author said he intends to introduce further, narrower amendments in that committee.
