SACRAMENTO, 2/5/26 – A bipartisan bill aimed at expanding the use of prescribed and cultural burning was introduced Tuesday in the state Legislature.
Assemblymember Chris Rogers, D-Santa Rosa, introduced Assembly Bill 1699, known as the Good Fire Act. The measure seeks to ease rules and liability concerns that have limited the use of prescribed fires across the state.
It’s co-sponsored by seven additional lawmakers, including Assemblymembers Jesse Arreguín, D-Berkeley, Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, and Tim Grayson, D-Concord.
The bill would make permanent emergency measures approved last year by Gov. Gavin Newsom that allow Cal Fire to assist with community-led prescribed burns without requiring additional environmental review.
The Good Fire Act would also expand access to the state’s Prescribed Fire Liability Claims Fund, which helps cover damage claims if a prescribed burn causes unintended harm. Tribal governments, volunteer fire departments and resource conservation districts would be eligible to use the fund for the first time. The bill would also remove the fund’s scheduled 2028 expiration date.
The bill would also ease certification rules for burn bosses –– the professionals responsible for planning and overseeing prescribed burns –– by allowing prior federal or Cal Fire training to count toward state certifications and reducing renewal requirements from annually to every three years.
“By removing unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles and expanding liability protections, we’re empowering tribes, land managers and communities to use fire the way it has been used for millennia — as a tool for stewarding our lands and protecting our communities,” Rogers said.
One of the bill’s sponsors is Pacific Forest Trust, a nonprofit focused on private forest conservation. Paul Mason, the organization’s vice president for policy and incentives, said expanding prescribed burning is critical to reducing wildfire risk statewide.
“This legislation will help unlock the full potential of California’s prescribed fire workforce and facilitate the use of beneficial fire that our forests need,” Mason said.
The bill has not yet been scheduled for a committee hearing.