AB 2483 (2025) — Wildland firefighters: Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program.

AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 24, 2026

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 8, 2026

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 25, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

ASSEMBLY BILLNo. 2483

Introduced by Assembly Member Elhawary

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bryan, Lowenthal, Zbur, and McKinnor)

February 20, 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.

Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

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~~ position, or any successor classifications, and has the required training and meets the minimum qualifications for the position, to award hiring preference under Category Placement 2 to the qualified formerly incarcerated individual, as specified. The bill would require the department, on and after January 1, 2028, if a qualified formerly incarcerated individual applies for a Forestry Technician Classification position, or any successor classifications, to count the duration of specified training and fieldwork as an incarcerated hand crew member towards the minimum qualifications for the classification and to award hiring preference to the formerly incarcerated individual. The bill would authorize the department to provide hiring preference to qualified formerly incarcerated individuals for new entry level classifications or positions, as provided. classification.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 4960) is added to Part 4 of Division 4 of the Public Resources Code, to read:

Chapter 2. Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program

4960.

(a) (1) On and after July 1, 2027, the department shall, 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 from prison.

(2) The official written certification pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include certification commensurate with the individual’s training towards meeting relevant minimum requirements for Fire Fighter 1 Classification or Forestry Technician Classification.

(b) On and after January 1, 2028, if a qualified formerly incarcerated individual applies for a Fire Fighter 1 Classification ~~position~~ position, or any successor classifications, with the department and has the required training and meets the minimum qualifications for the position, the department shall award hiring preference to the qualified formerly incarcerated individual under Category Placement 2.

(c) On and after January 1, 2028, if a qualified formerly incarcerated individual applies for a Forestry Technician Classification ~~position~~ position, or any successor classifications, with the department, the department shall count the duration of training pursuant to subdivision (a) and field work as an incarcerated hand crew member towards the minimum qualifications for the Forestry Technician ~~classification, and shall award hiring preference to the qualified formerly incarcerated individual.~~ classification.

(d) Nothing in this section shall preclude the department from placing a formerly incarcerated person in a higher category for hiring based on their level of training, certification, employment history, or other factors.

(e) Nothing in this section shall preclude other state agencies with wildland management responsibilities from establishing similar pathways to support wildfire prevention, mitigation, and response efforts with priority hiring reserved for formerly incarcerated individuals who completed the FFT program.

(f) For the purposes of this section, “qualified formerly incarcerated individual” means any formerly incarcerated individual who successfully completed training in a department firefighting training camp, has a valid certification pursuant to subdivision (a), and has successfully participated as an incarcerated hand crew member in the California Conservation Camp program as described in Section 1203.4b of the Penal Code.

(g) If the department establishes new entry level classifications or positions, including, but not limited to, the successor classifications of those mentioned in this chapter, and the training described in subdivision (a) matches the minimum qualifications for these new classifications or positions, the department may provide hiring preference analogous to that described in this chapter to qualified formerly incarcerated individuals.