California legislation · 2025-2026 Regular Session
California AB2483: Wildland firefighters: Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program.
Status: Chaptered, September 27, 2026
What the bill says
An act to add Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 4960) to Part 4 of Division 4 of the Public Resources Code, relating to wildfires. wildfires Wildland firefighters: Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program. Existing law establishes in the Natural Resources Agency the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and requires the department to be responsible for, among other things, fire protection and prevention, as provided…
From the chaptered text, September 27, 2026:
An act to add Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 4960) to Part 4 of Division 4 of the Public Resources Code, relating to wildfires. wildfires Wildland firefighters: Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program. Existing law establishes in the Natural Resources Agency the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and requires the department to be responsible for, among other things, fire protection and prevention, as provided. Existing law establishes the California Conservation Camp program for the purpose of having inmates and wards work on projects supervised by the department. Existing law requires the department to utilize inmates and wards assigned to conservation camps in performing fire prevention, fire control, and other work at the department. This bill would require, on and after July 1, 2027, the department to, in partnership with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the California Conservation Camp program, implement a standardized process to ensure that all eligible individuals who successfully complete training in a department firefighting training camp while incarcerated receive official written certification reflective of the training completed before their release, as specified. This bill would require the department, on and after January 1, 2028, if a qualified formerly incarcerated individual, as defined, applies for a Fire Fighter 1 Classification position, or any successor classifications, and has the required training and meets the minimum …