California Assembly Bill AB1964

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/13/26
• Refer: 3/9/26
• Report Pass: 4/23/26
• Refer: 4/28/26
• Refer: 5/6/26
• Report Pass: 5/14/26
• Engrossed: 5/26/26
• Refer: 5/27/26
• Refer: 6/3/26

Caption

An act to add Section 27212 to the Government Code, and to add Sections 13133.5 and 13134 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to home hardening.

Summary

AB 1964 would direct the California State Fire Marshal to create statewide home hardening standards by January 1, 2028, for determining whether a home is sufficiently hardened to reduce wildfire risk from embers, flames, and radiant heat. It would also require the Fire Marshal to compile a report by January 1, 2030, and publish it by July 1, 2030, estimating how many homes in moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones meet those standards, how many still need upgrades, and the estimated cost to bring them into compliance. The bill also adds a records-related duty for county recorders: they must maintain construction records related to home hardening and, upon request, share those records with the State Fire Marshal for properties in state or local responsibility areas. The measure includes a reimbursement provision if the Commission on State Mandates finds that the bill creates reimbursable state-mandated local costs.

Impact

AB 1964 would add Section 27212 to the Government Code and Sections 13133.5 and 13134 to the Health and Safety Code. In practical terms, it would create a new statewide framework for defining and measuring home hardening, require county recorders to preserve and provide relevant construction records, and require the State Fire Marshal to produce a statewide inventory and cost estimate for homes in wildfire-prone areas. The bill would impose a state-mandated local program on county recorders and could trigger state reimbursement for local costs if so determined under existing mandate procedures.

Sentiment

The available legislative history suggests generally strong support for the bill. It passed committee unanimously in the recorded vote, and the earlier vote also showed no opposition. The measure’s focus on wildfire resilience and information gathering appears to have broad appeal, especially given California’s ongoing wildfire risk and interest in reducing home ignition vulnerability.

Contention

There is little visible opposition in the available materials, but the main potential points of concern are administrative and fiscal. County recorders would take on new recordkeeping and disclosure duties, and the bill’s mandate language acknowledges that these duties could create reimbursable local costs. Another possible issue is implementation: the State Fire Marshal would need to develop standards that are sufficiently clear and workable for evaluating homes across different fire hazard zones and responsibility areas.