Arson: penalties.

Assembly Members Hadwick and Sanchez propose expanding California's felony arson penalties to address large-scale forest fires through a measure that would add burning 500 or more acres of forest land to the list of circumstances warranting enhanced sentences. Under current law, individuals convicted of felony arson face additional prison terms of three, four, or five years if their actions meet certain criteria, such as causing injury to emergency personnel or destroying multiple structures. The proposed legislation would apply these same enhanced sentences to cases where defendants cause extensive forest damage.

The bill maintains existing procedural requirements for imposing enhanced sentences. Prosecutors must specifically allege the forest damage in formal charges, and either secure an admission from the defendant or prove the extent of burning at trial. While the measure creates new obligations for local agencies to implement these provisions, it specifies that state reimbursement is not required since the changes relate to criminal penalties.