CaliforniaDisaster preparedness: urban retail water suppliers and public water systems: wildfire.
What it does
Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, requires all public water systems, as defined, with 10,000 or more service connections to review and revise their disaster preparedness plans in conjunction with related agencies, including, but not limited to, local fire departments and the Office of Emergency Services, to ensure that the plans are sufficient to address possible disaster scenarios. A person, as defined, who violates the provisions of this act is guilty of a misdemeanor.
More detail
This bill, beginning January 1, 2028, would require all urban retail water suppliers, as defined, serving 3,300 or more persons and serving a high or very high fire hazard severity zone to include incident-specific response procedures for wildfires as part of their disaster preparedness plans, including any applicable emergency response plan as required by federal law. The bill would require these plans to include, among other things, mitigation actions, including actions, procedures, and equipment, that can obviate or significantly lessen the impact of a wildfire on the water system and the supply of drinking water provided by the water supplier. Because violation of these requirements by certain urban retail water suppliers would constitute a misdemeanor, the bill would expand the scope of a crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program.
This bill would prohibit anything, including any other law, from imposing a duty on public water systems, including wholesale water systems, to design, construct, or maintain a water system for wildfire defense or suppression. The bill would further prohibit the failure of an urban retail water supplier to implement or comply with any of the incident-specific response procedures developed pursuant to the above requirements or the inability of any public water system to maintain water supply or water pressure during a wildfire from being considered a substantial cause of the damages resulting from a wildfire.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 29Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 776, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 29Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 8Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 30Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Unfinished Business SB1153 Caballero et al. Concurrence. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 30Ordered to special consent calendar.
- Aug 27In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Vote recorded SB 1153 Caballero Senate Third Reading By Calderon. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 27Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 6704.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Aug 17Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 17Read third time and amended.Major
- Aug 6Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 5From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 5).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Jul 1From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jun 30
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 22From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.S & T.M.Major
- Jun 17Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.S & T.M.Major
- Jun 16From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on E.S & T.M. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 15).Major
- Jun 15
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 8Referred to Coms. on E.M, E.S & T.M., and JUD.Minor
- May 22In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading SB1153 Caballero et al. Result: pass.Upper
- May 22Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 33. Noes 0. Page 4413.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- May 14Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- May 14From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 4266.) (May 14).Minor
- May 12Set for hearing May 14.
- May 11May 11 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- May 4Set for hearing May 11.
- Apr 28Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Apr 27From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 3981.) (April 21).Major
- Apr 21
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 10Set for hearing April 21.
- Apr 8April 14 hearing postponed by committee.
- Apr 6From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.Major
- Apr 2Set for hearing April 14.
- Mar 25Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.Major
- Mar 24From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on N.R. & W. (Ayes 8. Noes 0. Page 3657.) (March 24).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Natural Resources and Water]. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 18Set for hearing March 24.
- Mar 4Referred to Coms. on E.M. and N.R. & W.Minor
- Feb 19From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 21.
- Feb 18Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced