California Law Directs CPUC to Set Compensation for Utility Wildfire Victims

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 2700, which is meant to help victims of utility-caused wildfires get fair compensation, Rep. James Gallagher (R-CA) announced. Gallagher first introduced the bill while serving in the state Assembly. Assemblyman Joe Patterson took over as author after Gallagher was elected to Congress and carried it through the Legislature.

The law requires the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to determine how much fire victims are owed. It also directs the commission to recommend compensation methods that do not raise utility rates.

According to Gallagher, the measure responds to ongoing difficulties facing wildfire survivors, including victims of the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, who have spent years seeking full compensation for their losses. The Utility Wildfire Survivor Coalition, which represents thousands of survivors, helped drive the bill by contacting lawmakers and testifying at committee hearings. The coalition’s Will Abrams said every vote on the bill in the Legislature was bipartisan and unanimous.

Patterson said no amount of money can undo what survivors have suffered, but he hopes the bill gives them a tangible step toward rebuilding.

Why it matters

Homeowners and property owners affected by utility-caused wildfires in California may eventually see a defined process for determining what they are owed. The law specifies how the CPUC will approach the amount and the method of compensation, without raising utility rates.

Source: Rep. James Gallagher (R-CA), October 1, 2026. Read the original release