An act to add Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 4960) to Part 4 of Division 4 of the Public Resources Code, relating to wildfires.
Summary
AB 1380 would create the “Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program” within CAL FIRE. The bill requires CAL FIRE, working with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the California Conservation Camp program, to establish a standardized process so that incarcerated people who complete CAL FIRE’s firefighting training program receive official written certification before release. That certification would count as sufficient for employment in the Fire Fighter 1 classification.
The bill also directs CAL FIRE to reserve a minimum share of Fire Fighter 1 vacancies for qualified formerly incarcerated applicants, with the bill specifying at least 15 percent of vacant positions each year if enough qualified applicants apply. It further requires hiring preference under Category Placement 2 for these applicants by January 1, 2027, while allowing higher placement if warranted by training or experience. In addition, CAL FIRE must track participants nearing release, develop reporting procedures, and submit annual reports to the Legislature for three years on implementation, hiring outcomes, retention, and advancement. The program would only take effect if the Legislature appropriates funding for it.
Impact
AB 1380 would add a new chapter to the Public Resources Code governing CAL FIRE hiring and certification practices for formerly incarcerated firefighters. It would create a formal pathway from the conservation camp firefighting training program into state firefighting jobs, and it would require the department to treat the new certification as adequate for Fire Fighter 1 employment. The bill also imposes workforce-planning and reporting duties on CAL FIRE and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and it expressly allows other state agencies with wildland management responsibilities to adopt similar pathways. Its operative date is contingent on a legislative appropriation, so the bill would not take effect without funding.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have generally favorable support in committee and on the floor, with multiple do-pass votes and a unanimous 76-0 Assembly third reading vote. That pattern suggests broad agreement with the bill’s goals of expanding employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated firefighters and strengthening wildfire staffing pipelines. At the same time, the bill was later held under submission and placed on suspense file, indicating that fiscal or implementation concerns remained significant enough to slow final advancement.
Contention
The main points of contention are likely fiscal and administrative rather than the underlying policy goal. The bill requires CAL FIRE to create a certification system, reserve a portion of vacancies, track release dates and outcomes, and report annually, all of which could require staffing and program costs. The appropriation contingency reflects that concern. Another possible issue is the mandatory hiring preference and 15 percent vacancy reservation, which may raise questions about recruitment capacity, merit-based hiring, and whether enough qualified formerly incarcerated applicants will be available to meet the target. The bill partially addresses that by allowing compliance if CAL FIRE makes meaningful recruitment efforts and hires all qualified applicants who apply.
An act to amend Sections 7922.535 and Section 7923.600 of, and to add Section 7923.606 to, the Government Code, and to amend Section 25152.5 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to public records.
An act to amend Sections 44671 and 49600 of, and to add Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 52210) to Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of, the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction.
An act to add Article 13 (commencing with Section 4774) to Chapter 10 of Part 2 of Division 4 of the Public Resources Code, relating to wildfire mitigation.