AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 18, 2026
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 23, 2026
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 9, 2026
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
96
Introduced by Assembly Member Patterson
February 17, 2026
An act to add and repeal Article 7 (commencing with Section 9180) of Chapter 2 of Division 8.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to older adults, and making an appropriation therefor. adults.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: no
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
Existing law, the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, establishes the California Department of Aging in the California Health and Human Services Agency and sets forth its mission to provide leadership to the area agencies on aging in developing systems of home- and community-based services that maintain individuals in their own homes or the least restrictive homelike environments.
This bill would establish the Wildfire Mitigation Aging and Disability Grant Pilot Program to be administered by the California Department of Aging through specified area agencies on aging, including Planning and Service Areas 4, 29, and 33. The Upon appropriation by the Legislature for these
purposes, the bill would award grants, based on specified criteria, to seniors and individuals with disabilities to mitigate against wildfires on properties they own that they would not otherwise be able to protect with existing resources. The bill would require the area agencies on aging to award grants on a competitive basis and would require applications to contain specified information, including proof of need. The bill would also authorize the grant funding to be used towards the costs associated with hiring contractors or other qualified service providers to perform wildfire mitigation activities. The bill would appropriate the sum of $1,000,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Aging to implement these provisions.
The bill would also require the area agencies on aging to retain specified information and report that information to the department upon the completion of the pilot program, including the number of applicants and the amount of money distributed.
This bill would make these provisions inoperative on January 1, 2030, and would repeal these provisions on that date.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Article 7 (commencing with Section 9180) is added to Chapter 2 of Division 8.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
Article 7. Wildfire Mitigation Aging and Disability Grant Pilot Program
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) Fires in California have caused untold harm and suffering.
(b) Fires are especially dangerous to seniors and those with disabilities.
(c) This program is necessary to aid seniors and those with disabilities in protecting themselves and their homes from fires.
(a) The Wildfire Mitigation Aging and Disability Grant Pilot Program is hereby established.
(b) The purpose of this pilot program is to allow seniors and individuals with disabilities to take actions to mitigate against wildfires on properties they own that they would not otherwise be able to take with existing resources.
(a) The Wildfire Mitigation Aging and Disability Grant Pilot Program shall be administered by the California Department of Aging through the Planning and Service Areas 4, 29, and 33.
(b) The area agencies on aging shall award grants on a competitive basis. An applicant shall be eligible for a grant if all of the following criteria are met:
(1) The applicant is an older adult or individual with a disability.
(2) The applicant occupies the property as a primary residence.
(3) The applicant owns or lawfully occupies the property.
(4) The property is in a designated moderate, high, or very high fire hazard severity zone under the CalFire Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps.
An application shall include, at minimum, all of the following:
(a) A verification that an individual is 65 years of age or older or has a disability as defined under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (Part 2.8 (commencing with Section 12900) of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
(b) Identification of the property and its wildfire risk designation under the CalFire Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps.
(c) A description of proposed mitigation measures.
(d) Proof of need, which may be satisfied with proof of income.
Services provided pursuant to this chapter may include, but are not limited to, costs associated with hiring contractors or other qualified service providers to perform wildfire mitigation activities. Grant funding may be used to support any of the following:
(a) Vegetation management and defensible space creation.
(b) Tree trimming or removal of hazardous or dead trees.
(c) Removal and lawful disposal of combustible debris from roofs, gutters, and areas adjacent to structures.
(d) Installation of ember-resistant vents or other exterior hardening measures.
The area agencies on aging shall retain the following information, as available, and upon completion of the pilot program, shall report to the department all of the following:
(a) The number of applicants.
(b) The amount of money distributed.
(c) The mitigation measures proposed as necessary by the applicant.
The sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Aging to implement the provisions of this article.
9186.
The program provided for under this article shall be implemented only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes.
This chapter article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.