republic-os/legislation/us/states/ca/20192020/ab-38.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Fire safety: low-cost retrofits: regional capacity review: wildfire mitigation."
description: "(1) Existing law requires the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection to designate specified areas as very high fire hazard severity zones and requires a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in, upon, or adjoining a mountainous area, forest-covered lands, brush-covered lands, grass-covered lands, or land that is covered with flammable material to take specified measures to protect that building or structure from wildfires."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20192020"
identifier: "AB 38"
citation: "California AB 38 (20192020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Fire safety: low-cost retrofits: regional capacity review: wildfire mitigation."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Wood"]
version_count: 13
action_count: 41
vote_count: 12
first_action: "2018-12-03"
last_action: "2019-10-02"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/41dcabf2-9e02-4cd8-a575-81557d000c39"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB38"
source_hash: "92198ea01c129cd4758de4ab770134c36fc677c0bbe735a703133a02f2ae56ac"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ca"]
---

# California AB 38 (20192020) — Fire safety: low-cost retrofits: regional capacity review: wildfire mitigation.

(1) Existing law requires the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection to designate specified areas as very high fire hazard severity zones and requires a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in, upon, or adjoining a mountainous area, forest-covered lands, brush-covered lands, grass-covered lands, or land that is covered with flammable material to take specified measures to protect that building or structure from wildfires.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **12/03/18 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB38&version=20190AB3899INT)
2. **03/21/19 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB38&version=20190AB3898AMD)
3. **04/10/19 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB38&version=20190AB3897AMD)
4. **04/11/19 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB38&version=20190AB3896AMD)
5. **04/30/19 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB38&version=20190AB3895AMD)
6. **05/16/19 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB38&version=20190AB3894AMD)
7. **06/18/19 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB38&version=20190AB3893AMD)
8. **07/01/19 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB38&version=20190AB3892AMD)
9. **08/30/19 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB38&version=20190AB3891AMD)
10. **09/06/19 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB38&version=20190AB3890AMD)
11. **10/02/19 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB38&version=20190AB3888CHP)
12. **AB38** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB38)
13. **09/20/19 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB38&version=20190AB3889ENR)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading AB38 Wood et al. By Stern — **35–2** (pass) · upper
- Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Natural Resources] — **14–1** (pass) · lower
- Placed on suspense file — **7–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Governmental Organization] — **8–1** (pass) · upper
- AB 38 Wood Assembly Third Reading — **70–2** (pass) · lower
- Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] — **13–1** (pass) · upper
- With recommendation: That Senate amendments be concurred in, but first be re-referred to Com. on [Natural Resources] — **17–0** (pass) · lower
- Do pass as amended — **5–1** (pass) · upper
- With recommendation: That Senate amendments be concurred in. — **9–0** (pass) · lower
- Do pass as amended. — **14–1** (pass) · lower
- Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] — **9–1** (pass) · lower
- AB 38 Wood Concurrence in Senate Amendments — **78–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Wood — primary (person)
- Levine — coauthor (person)
- Stern — principal coauthor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2018-12-03** Read first time. To print. `reading-1`
- **2018-12-04** From printer. May be heard in committee January 3.
- **2019-01-24** Referred to Coms. on G.O. and NAT. RES. `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-21** From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on G.O. Read second time and amended. `reading-1, reading-2, amendment-passage, amendment-introduction`
- **2019-03-25** Re-referred to Com. on G.O. `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-09** From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. (Ayes 14. Noes 1.) (April 3). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, amendment-introduction`
- **2019-04-10** Read second time and amended. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2`
- **2019-04-11** Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES. `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-11** From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended. `reading-1, reading-2, amendment-passage, amendment-introduction`
- **2019-04-22** Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES. `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-29** From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 1.) (April 22). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, amendment-introduction`
- **2019-04-30** Read second time and amended. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2`
- **2019-05-01** Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `referral-committee`
- **2019-05-08** In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file. `referral-committee`
- **2019-05-16** From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 14. Noes 1.) (May 16). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, amendment-introduction`
- **2019-05-16** Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2`
- **2019-05-20** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2019-05-23** Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 70. Noes 2. Page 1915.) `passage, reading-3, reading-1`
- **2019-05-24** In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. `reading-1`
- **2019-06-06** Referred to Coms. on N.R. & W. and G.O. `referral-committee`
- **2019-06-18** From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W. `reading-1, reading-2, amendment-passage, referral-committee, amendment-introduction`
- **2019-06-27** From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on G.O. (Ayes 8. Noes 1.) (June 25). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, amendment-introduction`
- **2019-07-01** Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on G.O. `reading-1, reading-2, amendment-passage, referral-committee`
- **2019-07-09** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 1.) (July 9). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2019-08-12** In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file. `referral-committee`
- **2019-08-30** From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (August 30). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, amendment-introduction`
- **2019-08-30** Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2`
- **2019-09-03** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2019-09-06** Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading. `amendment-passage, reading-3, reading-1`
- **2019-09-09** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2019-09-11** Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 35. Noes 2. Page 2860.). `passage, reading-3, reading-1`
- **2019-09-11** In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- **2019-09-12** Re-referred to Coms. on G.O. and NAT. RES. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2. `referral-committee`
- **2019-09-12** Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 3512.)
- **2019-09-13** From committee: That the Senate amendments be concurred in, but first be re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (September 13). Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES. `committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2019-09-13** Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 3552.)
- **2019-09-13** From committee: That the Senate amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (September 13). `committee-passage`
- **2019-09-14** Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 3608.). `amendment-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-09-26** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
- **2019-10-02** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2019-10-02** Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 391, Statutes of 2019.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/41dcabf2-9e02-4cd8-a575-81557d000c39`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).