Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a wildfire recovery bill by State Sen. Kelly Seyarto, R-Murrieta, that aims to shorten permitting delays for communities rebuilding after major fires.
SB 904, signed Sept. 29, creates a statewide framework requiring state agencies to coordinate and streamline the permits homeowners need before they can rebuild, according to Patch. The law covers any California community hit by a future catastrophic wildfire. Seyarto represents the 32nd Senate District, which includes Temecula.
The bill grew out of the state's response to the January 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles County. After those fires, Newsom issued Executive Order N-4-25, which set a goal of issuing rebuilding permits within 30 days, according to a statement from Seyarto's office. SB 904 makes that kind of expedited process available statewide for future disasters.
"Having spent 35 years in the fire service, I know firsthand the devastation wildfires can leave behind," Seyarto said in a statement after the signing. "When a wildfire destroys a home or an entire neighborhood, families should be able to focus on rebuilding their homes and their lives, not navigating unnecessary government bureaucracy."
Under the new law, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) determines when a wildfire has caused substantial structural damage. Once that finding is made, the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) must work with state and local governments to identify permitting rules that can be revised or suspended. The state must also review building standards that could be temporarily lifted to speed safe reconstruction.
Starting in 2028, state and local agencies handling wildfire recovery must accept electronic applications and architectural plans for rebuilding projects, according to the bill.
The measure received bipartisan support. Seyarto's office said HCD sought late amendments that would have narrowed the bill's scope. The senator said he pushed back and preserved the broader language before sending it to Newsom's desk.
Newsom signed SB 904 as part of a larger legislative package aimed at wildfire prevention and community hardening. That package also fast-tracked more than 500 wildfire-prevention projects covering nearly 130,000 acres, according to the governor's office.
