Committee backs bill to expand home‑hardening pilot to top 10 high‑risk counties

Senator Richardson asked the committee to expand the state's home hardening pilot to the top 10 counties ranked by wildfire risk and social vulnerability and to prioritize any unspent pilot funds for counties ranked seventh through tenth through 2029.

The bill would direct Cal OES and Cal Fire to identify the highest‑need counties and prioritize additional state and federal funding for home‑hardening retrofits and community mitigation. "Home hardening assistance is a critical component that must be considered to provide a sense of relief to homeowners," Senator Richardson said.

Supporters including the League of California Cities, county representatives and air districts offered conditional support and said amendments would address implementation details. Committee members stressed scaling smaller, cost‑effective measures (vent screens, defensible space) that reach more households rather than expensive one‑off retrofits.

Senator Stern, speaking from an emergency management perspective, asked the author to focus resources on high‑impact, scalable interventions so limited funds cover more homes. The committee moved SB 1270 to the Emergency Management Committee as amended.