Wildland firefighters: Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program.

Existing law establishes in the Natural Resources Agency the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and requires the department to be responsible for, among other things, fire protection and prevention, as provided. Existing law establishes the California Conservation Camp program for the purpose of having incarcerated persons work on projects supervised by the department. Existing law requires the department to utilize incarcerated persons assigned to conservation camps in performing fire prevention, fire control, and other work at the department. This bill would require the department to, in partnership with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the California Conservation Camp program, implement a standardized process to ensure that all individuals who complete the department's firefighting training program (FFT program) while incarcerated receive official written certification before their release, as specified. The bill would require the department to, on or before January 1, 2027, award hiring preference under Category Placement 2 to qualified formerly incarcerated individuals who apply for positions with the department. The bill would also require the department to track the number of incarcerated individuals who have completed the FFT program and are set to be released within 90 days, develop and implement policies and procedures to track and report the outcomes of the Formerly Incarcerated Firefighter Certification and Employment Program, and report annually to the Legislature on the implementation and effectiveness of the program, as provided. The bill would make these provisions operative only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes, as provided.