(a) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide homeowners and businesses with an affordable way to finance improvements to their homes and buildings that make those facilities more resistant to wildfire by permitting voluntary individual efforts to improve the wildfire resilience and safety of those facilities. The Legislature further intends that this chapter should be used to finance the installation of wildfire safety improvements that are permanently fixed to residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other real property.

(2) The upfront cost of making residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other real property more resistant to wildfire prevents many property owners from making those improvements. To make those improvements more affordable and to promote the installation of wildfire safety improvements, it is necessary to authorize an alternative procedure for authorizing assessments to finance the cost of wildfire safety improvements.

(3) A public purpose will be served by a voluntary contractual assessment program that provides the legislative body of any public agency with the authority to finance the installation of wildfire safety improvements that are permanently fixed to residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other real property.

(b) For purposes of this section:

(1) For the purpose of financing the installation of wildfire safety improvements, “public agency” means a city, county, or city and county. The definition of “city” in Section 5005 shall not apply to this paragraph.

(2) “Wildfire safety improvements” means permanent wildfire resilience and safety improvements fixed to existing residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other real property. An improvement within the meaning of this paragraph means any of the components identified by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection at www.readyforwildfire.org/Hardening-Your-Home/, as updated by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection or at a subsequent Internet Web site than can be fixed to an existing building or structure. A PACE assessment that finances a wildfire safety improvement shall not be eligible for a waiver of the requirements of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 22687 of the Financial Code pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 22687 of the Financial Code. In order to qualify under this paragraph, a wildfire safety improvement shall be fixed to an existing building or structure, and shall not be used as a part of a project to construct a new home or to rebuild or reconstruct a home that was destroyed or damaged in a fire.

(c) The legislative body of any public agency that has accepted the designation of Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone pursuant to Section 51179 of the Government Code may designate an area, in the manner provided pursuant to Section 5898.20, within which authorized public agency officials and property owners may enter into voluntary contractual assessments to finance the installation of wildfire safety improvements that are permanently fixed to real property pursuant to this chapter.

(d) For purposes of establishing a voluntary contractual assessment program relating to wildfire safety improvements, the legislative body shall make the determinations required pursuant to Section 5898.20 by adopting a resolution indicating its intention to do so. The resolution of intention shall identify the kinds of wildfire safety improvements that may be financed and shall include all of the information that is required pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 5898.20, including, but not limited to, directing an appropriate public agency official to prepare a report pursuant to Section 5898.22.

(e) For purposes of the report required pursuant to Section 5898.22, relating to a voluntary contractual assessment program for wildfire safety improvements, the designated public agency official shall satisfy the requirements of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 5898.22 by identifying the types of wildfire safety improvements that may be financed through the use of contractual assessments.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, upon the written consent of an authorized public agency official, the proposed arrangements for financing the program pertaining to the installation of wildfire safety improvements that are permanently fixed to real property may authorize the property owner to purchase directly the related equipment and materials for the installation of wildfire safety improvements and to contract directly for the installation of wildfire safety improvements that are permanently fixed to the property owner’s residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other real property.

(g) It is the responsibility of the property owner to contact the property owner’s insurance provider to determine whether the wildfire safety improvement to be financed by the PACE assessment is covered by the property owner’s insurance plan and whether that improvement will impact the insurance rate.

(h) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2029, and as of that date is repealed.

(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 837, Sec. 12. (SB 465) Effective January 1, 2019. Repealed as of January 1, 2029, by its own provisions.)