California 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

California Assembly Bill AB270 Introduced / Bill

Filed 01/21/2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 270Introduced by Assembly Member Petrie-NorrisJanuary 21, 2025 An act to add Section 8586.10 to the Government Code, relating to emergency response. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAB 270, as introduced, Petrie-Norris. Office of Emergency Services: autonomous firefighting activities. Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, establishes the Office of Emergency Services in the office of the Governor, with specified powers and duties relative to coordinating emergency services. Existing law requires the Office of Emergency Services to enter into a joint powers agreement with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop and administer a comprehensive wildfire mitigation program, as specified.This bill would require the Office of Emergency Services to establish a pilot program to equip the state with the nations first testbed autonomous firefighting helicopter and the associated configuration, familiarization, and training activities to transition the aircraft into operational use. The bill would include related legislative findings.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill TextThe people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares both of the following:(a) Over the past decade, unprecedented climate disasters have increased in size, severity, and scale, which present enormous challenges to fire agencies in California and the public they serve. These disasters have strained existing response capacity and caused unimaginable human suffering, economic damage, watershed impacts, and reversal in climate progress.(b) Autonomous firefighting aircraft have the potential to scale wildfire response capacity by significantly improving safety for both crewed and un-crewed missions, expanding the response window to include operations at night and in degraded conditions that are unsafe for human pilots, and reducing response time by enabling uncrewed aircraft to be prepositioned in remote areas.SEC. 2. Section 8586.10 is added to the Government Code, to read:8586.10. The Office of Emergency Services shall establish a pilot program to equip the State of California with the nation's first testbed autonomous firefighting helicopter and the associated configuration, familiarization, and training activities to transition the aircraft into operational use.

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 270

Introduced by Assembly Member Petrie-NorrisJanuary 21, 2025

Introduced by Assembly Member Petrie-Norris
January 21, 2025

An act to add Section 8586.10 to the Government Code, relating to emergency response.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 270, as introduced, Petrie-Norris. Office of Emergency Services: autonomous firefighting activities.

Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, establishes the Office of Emergency Services in the office of the Governor, with specified powers and duties relative to coordinating emergency services. Existing law requires the Office of Emergency Services to enter into a joint powers agreement with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop and administer a comprehensive wildfire mitigation program, as specified.This bill would require the Office of Emergency Services to establish a pilot program to equip the state with the nations first testbed autonomous firefighting helicopter and the associated configuration, familiarization, and training activities to transition the aircraft into operational use. The bill would include related legislative findings.

This bill would require the Office of Emergency Services to establish a pilot program to equip the state with the nations first testbed autonomous firefighting helicopter and the associated configuration, familiarization, and training activities to transition the aircraft into operational use. The bill would include related legislative findings.

## Digest Key

## Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares both of the following:(a) Over the past decade, unprecedented climate disasters have increased in size, severity, and scale, which present enormous challenges to fire agencies in California and the public they serve. These disasters have strained existing response capacity and caused unimaginable human suffering, economic damage, watershed impacts, and reversal in climate progress.(b) Autonomous firefighting aircraft have the potential to scale wildfire response capacity by significantly improving safety for both crewed and un-crewed missions, expanding the response window to include operations at night and in degraded conditions that are unsafe for human pilots, and reducing response time by enabling uncrewed aircraft to be prepositioned in remote areas.SEC. 2. Section 8586.10 is added to the Government Code, to read:8586.10. The Office of Emergency Services shall establish a pilot program to equip the State of California with the nation's first testbed autonomous firefighting helicopter and the associated configuration, familiarization, and training activities to transition the aircraft into operational use.

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

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

SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares both of the following:(a) Over the past decade, unprecedented climate disasters have increased in size, severity, and scale, which present enormous challenges to fire agencies in California and the public they serve. These disasters have strained existing response capacity and caused unimaginable human suffering, economic damage, watershed impacts, and reversal in climate progress.(b) Autonomous firefighting aircraft have the potential to scale wildfire response capacity by significantly improving safety for both crewed and un-crewed missions, expanding the response window to include operations at night and in degraded conditions that are unsafe for human pilots, and reducing response time by enabling uncrewed aircraft to be prepositioned in remote areas.

SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares both of the following:

### SECTION 1.

(a) Over the past decade, unprecedented climate disasters have increased in size, severity, and scale, which present enormous challenges to fire agencies in California and the public they serve. These disasters have strained existing response capacity and caused unimaginable human suffering, economic damage, watershed impacts, and reversal in climate progress.

(b) Autonomous firefighting aircraft have the potential to scale wildfire response capacity by significantly improving safety for both crewed and un-crewed missions, expanding the response window to include operations at night and in degraded conditions that are unsafe for human pilots, and reducing response time by enabling uncrewed aircraft to be prepositioned in remote areas.

SEC. 2. Section 8586.10 is added to the Government Code, to read:8586.10. The Office of Emergency Services shall establish a pilot program to equip the State of California with the nation's first testbed autonomous firefighting helicopter and the associated configuration, familiarization, and training activities to transition the aircraft into operational use.

SEC. 2. Section 8586.10 is added to the Government Code, to read:

### SEC. 2.

8586.10. The Office of Emergency Services shall establish a pilot program to equip the State of California with the nation's first testbed autonomous firefighting helicopter and the associated configuration, familiarization, and training activities to transition the aircraft into operational use.