Mar 20, 2026

Advocacy   |   Public Safety and Emergency Management Homeland Security Nominee Markwayne Mullin Commits to End ‘Micromanaging’ Policy on FEMA Money

On March 19th, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security advanced Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to be the next Secretary of Homeland Security by a vote of 8-7.

Mar 13, 2026

Advocacy   |   Public Safety and Emergency Management Rep. Fong Re-Introduces Bill Supporting Wildfire Victims in Honor of Doug LaMalfa

Last week, Congressman Vince Fong (CA-20) introduced the Doug LaMalfa Protect Innocent Victims of Taxation After Fire Extension Act. Re-introduced in memorial to the late Mr. LaMalfa, this bill would exempt wildfire relief payments made...

Feb 12, 2026

Advocacy   |   Public Safety and Emergency Management After Deadly Wildfires, California Utility Regulator Suggests Exploring Avenues to Limit Utility Liability and Shift Mitigation Costs to the State

On January 30, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) released recommendations on wildfire mitigation and victim compensation.  The document makes sweeping and transformative recommendations

Feb 06, 2026

Advocacy   |   Public Safety and Emergency Management Interior Announces $20M Available to Strengthen Local Wildfire Response

On February 2, the Department of the Interior announced that up to $20 million is available to strengthen local governments’ wildfire response capacity in another round of funding for the Slip-on Tanker Pilot Program.

Jan 30, 2026

Advocacy   |   Public Safety and Emergency Management Bill of the Week: Senate Bill 899 (Grove) – Wildfire Smoke Health Assessment

RCRC is a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 899, authored by Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield). This measure seeks to require the Governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force to create a wildfire smoke health assessment, intended to provide important data that would better align public health and wildfire resilience efforts

Dec 19, 2025

Advocacy   |   Public Safety and Emergency Management Joint Local Governments Submit Comments on Wildfire Liability, Insurance Accessibility, and Strategies to Reduce Wildfire Risk

On December 12, RCRC, CSAC, and the League of Cities jointly responded to a solicitation from California Earthquake Authority seeking stakeholder input on a variety of topics related to the accessibility and affordability of

Dec 19, 2025

Advocacy   |   Public Safety and Emergency Management Bipartisan Wildfire Bill Would Expand Federal Support for Post-Fire Cleanup

On December 16, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced the Post-Wildfire Environmental Assistance Act, bipartisan legislation that would allow the federal government to help pay for hazardous debris cleanup following wildfires, even when damage does not meet the threshold for a major disaster declaration

Dec 12, 2025

Public Safety and Emergency Management U.S. Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Extend Tax Relief for Wildfire Victims

On December 5, Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Tim Sheehy (R-MT) introduced the Protect Innocent Victims of Taxation After Fire Extension Act, to permanently ensure wildfire survivors are not taxed on compensation they receive for losses and damages suffered during a fire

Oct 10, 2025

Advocacy   |   Public Safety and Emergency Management CPUC Proposes to End Crucial Wildfire Risk Reduction Program at the End of 2025

On September 18, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a Proposed Decision that would effectively end the state’s BioMAT program on December 31, 2025. RCRC has long-supported biomass energy generation and extension of the BioMAT program’s sunset date

Jul 25, 2025

Advocacy   |   Public Safety and Emergency Management CDI Approves First California Forward-Looking Wildfire Risk Model

On Thursday, the California Department of Insurance (CDI) announced that they have completed their review of the first forward-looking wildfire risk model for use by insurers