Recovery from a state of emergency

After major wildfire damage, the law creates a state process to recommend suspending or streamlining barriers to rebuilding. It also requires covered public agencies to accept digital recovery applications beginning in 2028.

What the law does ​

• Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to report on state permit requirements and local procedures that hinder rebuilding after a wildfire destroys at least 25 residential or commercial structures.
• Calls for rapid local permitting procedures, including possible preapproved plans and waivers, with a goal of issuing needed permits and approvals within 30 days of submission.
• Requires a state workgroup by July 1, 2028, to recommend Building Standards Code provisions that could be suspended for qualifying disaster rebuilding projects, while excluding fire and panic-safety standards.
• Requires covered state agencies and larger local governments to accept electronic recovery-related applications, plans, appeals, and requests after a wildfire emergency, starting January 1, 2028.
• Bars covered agencies from requiring in-person filing or rejecting documents solely because they were filed electronically, except where electronic filing is technically infeasible and publicly documented.

Who it affects ​

• Homeowners and businesses rebuilding qualifying wildfire-damaged residential or commercial structures.
• State agencies and covered cities and counties handling disaster response, debris removal, reconstruction, housing, or land-use permits.
• Smaller counties and cities exempted from the electronic-filing requirement.

Context ​

The expedited reporting process applies only when the Office of Emergency Services finds within 10 days that a wildfire destroyed at least 25 residential or commercial structures.