Assembly Members Jeff Gonzalez and Essayli, joined by Senator Dahle as principal coauthor, propose expanding California's greenhouse gas emissions tracking to include emissions from wildlands and forest fires under the state's climate change mitigation framework. Their legislation would modify the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 by requiring the State Air Resources Board to incorporate these emissions sources into its regular scoping plan for emissions reductions.

The measure adds wildland and forest fire emissions to the comprehensive planning process that guides California's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below established limits by 2030. Under current law, the State Air Resources Board develops and updates a scoping plan every five years to identify direct emissions reduction measures, compliance mechanisms, and potential incentives. The board must evaluate economic impacts, consider programs from other jurisdictions, assess contributions from different emissions sources, and conduct public workshops as part of this process.

The inclusion of wildland and forest fire emissions would expand the scope of what the board must analyze and address in its regular planning cycle. While the bill maintains all existing requirements around economic analysis, stakeholder input, and implementation timelines, it creates new obligations for measuring and developing strategies around these additional emissions sources. The board would need to integrate wildland and forest fire emissions into its existing frameworks for emissions tracking, reduction planning, and progress assessment.