Assembly Leaders: We Will Hold New Public Hearings on Wildfire Reforms

SACRAMENTO, CA - On Tuesday, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine) and Assemblywoman Lisa Calderon (D-Whittier) announced plans for continued Assembly action and engagement on wildfire reforms, including public hearings and a commitment to hold California state agencies accountable to ratepayers and homeowners.

Their announcement comes as Speaker Robert Rivas reaffirmed the Assembly's shared goal of delivering real, meaningful financial relief to the thousands of Californians recovering from devastating wildfires, including quicker payments from insurance companies.

On Tuesday, the Assembly declined to advance Senate Bill 492, which Speaker Rivas said was not ready for passage because it "does not yet deliver the relief, accountability or meaningful reform that Californians deserve."

What Assembly Utilities & Energy Committee Chair Cottie Petrie-Norris Says:

"Californians have tasked us with navigating some profoundly important challenges - making sure victims are paid first, investing in robust and transformational prevention efforts, holding utilities accountable, and stabilizing costs in California," said Assemblywoman Petrie-Norris. "The scale and stakes are incredibly high, and we need to make sure that the measures we bring to the table rise to the occasion."

What Assembly Insurance Committee Chair Lisa Calderon Says:

"Despite enormous effort, we could not find agreement on how to address the twin challenges of availability in the insurance market and affordability in our electricity rates," said Assemblywoman Lisa Calderon. "Both challenges still stand, and we will have work going forward. The issues are complex and the right balance difficult to find. We owe Californians every effort to find that balance going forward."

Assembly Democrats Delivered Strong Wildfire Solutions in 2026

The Assembly voted to pass several bills this legislative year that will help survivors recover from wildfires and hold utility companies accountable, including:

• AB 1666 (Rogers): Turns wildfire fuel into useful products by creating biomass innovation hubs that convert California wood waste into cleaner fuels, building materials and other beneficial uses.
• AB 1964 (Bennett): Establishes statewide home-hardening standards and measures how many homes in wildfire-prone areas still need safety upgrades.
• AB 2475 (Emergency Management Committee): Requires faster post-disaster reviews so California can
  identify what worked, fix what didn't and improve its response before the next emergency.
• AB 2494 (Rogers): Modernizes management of California's demonstration forests to prioritize wildfire
  resilience, conservation, recreation and scientific research alongside responsible forestry.
• AB 2493 (Petrie-Norris): Cracks down on utility delays that hold up transmission and clean energy projects by creating independent oversight and requiring corrective action when utilities fall behind.
• AB 2463 (Petrie-Norris): Requires the CPUC to show its work when setting utility profits, bringing greater transparency and accountability to decisions that directly affect electricity and gas bills.
• AB 1680 (Calderon): Strengthens accountability and oversight of the FAIR Plan, with tougher enforcement and expanded coverage options for homeowners and renters.
• AB 1795 (Gipson): Requires insurers to properly test, clean and restore smoke-damaged homes after wildfires before families are forced to move back in.
• AB 2724 (Bauer-Kahan): Requires annual updates to California's distressed insurance areas so high-risk communities are not left out of efforts to bring private insurers back.
• AB 1934 (Bennett): Creates a statewide home-hardening certification program so Californians have clear, science-based standards for making homes more wildfire-resistant.

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Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris represents California's 73rd District including Costa Mesa, Irvine and Tustin. She is the Chair of the Utilities and Energy Committee. She is also a member of the Budget Committee; Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact Committee; Insurance Committee; and, Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee. After working her way through Yale University, where she double majored in Economics and English, Cottie had a successful 20-year career in finance and technology. She helped to build businesses and led teams at Fortune 500 corporations, small companies and start-ups. Follow the Assemblywoman on Instagram (@asmcottie) and Facebook (AssemblywomanCPN).

Assemblymember Lisa Calderon was elected in November 2020 to represent California's 56th Assembly District, which includes the cities of Diamond Bar, Industry, La Habra Heights, La Puente, Pico Rivera, South El Monte, Walnut, Whittier, a portion of El Monte, and the unincorporated communities of Avocado Heights, Bassett, East Whittier, Los Nietos-West Whittier, Hacienda Heights, and Rowland Heights.