Committee advances bill to standardize state coordination and permitting after wildfire disasters

Vice Chair and bill author presented SB 904 as a measure to codify the coordinated agency response that sped permitting after recent Los Angeles‑area wildfires. The bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to convene state and local agencies after a state of emergency and report permitting requirements and building codes that could impede rebuilding efforts.

The sponsor said recent incidents produced faster permit review times — in one example, permit reviews averaged under 30 days — and that a standard reporting mechanism could help avoid situations in which some communities recover slowly. "This sort of relief and urgent coordination ought to be the standard procedure for all wildfire disasters moving forward in our state," the author said.

Several members welcomed the goal but raised concerns about repeat reporting and unfunded mandates for small jurisdictions. Senator Cabaldon and others asked whether multiple reports after frequent incidents would be burdensome and suggested limiting mandatory reports or creating thresholds to avoid redundant work. The author said the intent is to capture lessons from each incident and that HCD can streamline the process and identify when repeated reports are unnecessary.

The committee moved SB 904 forward; the roll call later recorded the bill as passed out of committee (9‑0). The author said committee amendments and further work could address thresholds and exemptions for smaller jurisdictions.