SB 1153CALIFORNIASession 20252026

California SB 1153 requires urban water suppliers in high-fire zones to include wildfire response in disaster plans

Original title: Disaster preparedness: urban retail water suppliers and public water systems: wildfire.

August 30, 2026

Disaster Preparedness Water Systems Wildfire Public Safety California Law Disasterpreparedness urbanretailwatersuppliersandpublicwatersystems

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Where This Stands

Currently Unknown. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Introduced.

Last action

Set for hearing May 11.May 4, 2026

Version history & redline

5 versions on file

Official version history is partial: 5 linked texts are unavailable or incomplete. Source links remain available below.

Comparing 04/06/26 - Amended Senate → 04/28/26 - Amended Senate

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Redline computed from the official version text (record lane).View this version →

The Frame

What this does

This bill changes the operational requirements for water providers in fire-prone areas and establishes legal protections for those providers regarding their water supply performance during wildfires.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

urban retail water suppliers

Suppliers serving 3,300 or more people in high fire hazard zones must update disaster plans and face potential misdemeanor charges for non-compliance.

public water systems

Systems are granted legal protections regarding their design requirements and liability for water supply performance during wildfires.

What changed

Last recorded activity August 30, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

Starting January 1, 2028, s serving 3,300 or more people in high or very high fire hazard zones must incorporate wildfire-specific response and mitigation procedures into their disaster preparedness plans. The bill also limits the legal liability of water systems regarding their performance during wildfire events and clarifies that they are not required to design systems specifically for wildfire suppression.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

This bill changes the operational requirements for water providers in fire-prone areas and establishes legal protections for those providers regarding their water supply performance during wildfires.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this bill require my local water company to build systems to fight wildfires?

No. The bill explicitly prohibits any law from requiring public or wholesale water systems to design, construct, or maintain water systems for wildfire defense or suppression.

What happens if a water supplier fails to maintain pressure during a wildfire?

Under this bill, the inability of a public water system to maintain water supply or pressure during a wildfire cannot be considered a substantial cause of damages resulting from that wildfire.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Liability Shield for Water Utilities

The bill creates a specific legal shield preventing water system performance issues during wildfires from being cited as a 'substantial cause' of wildfire damages.

public water systems

Connected Entities

organizationOffice of Emergency Services“Agency that water systems must coordinate with for disaster planning.”Map →

otherCalifornia Emergency Services Act“Existing law governing disaster preparedness plans for public water systems.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance75
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

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