Wildfire Evacuation And Clearance Time Modeling

Section 1 of the bill directs the office of emergency management (office) to provide resources and technical assistance to an eligible entity to conduct evacuation and clearance time modeling and to publish the results to an interactive website. An eligible entity includes a fire department, governing body of a political subdivision, local or interjurisdictional emergency management agency, or homeowners' association that is located in or provides services to a wildfire risk area. The office is required to conduct an outreach and education campaign to advise eligible agencies of the program.

On and after July 1, 2026, each local and interjurisdictional emergency management agency that has jurisdiction in a wildfire risk area must perform evacuation and clearance time modeling and include the information in the emergency management plan for its area.

Section 2 requires that, beginning on January 1, 2024, for proposed developments of a certain size, a developer must perform evacuation and clearance time modeling for the proposed development and submit the information to the local government that will consider the application for a development permit for approval. A local government cannot approve an application for a development permit submitted on or after that date unless the application includes the evacuation and clearance time modeling and the local government determines that it is adequate for the proposed development. The bill requires the office of emergency management (office) to study the efficacy and feasibility of local or interjurisdictional emergency management agencies with jurisdiction in a wildfire risk area to integrate evacuation and clearance time modeling into the emergency management plans that such an agency is required to adopt for its area. The report must be completed on or before December 1, 2023, and the office must report the findings of the study to specific committees of the general assembly during the 2024 legislative session.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)