Rulemaking tracker
Where the Zone 0 regulation stands today
This page tracks the regulation through the emergency rulemaking process. Every deadline on this site counts from the day it is filed with the Secretary of State.
Adopted, awaiting OAL
Adopted, not yet effective
What has happened
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| 29 September 2020 | AB 3074 signed, directing the Board to create an ember-resistant zone |
| 6 February 2025 | Executive Order N-18-25 issued after the January 2025 Los Angeles fires |
| 13 October 2025 | AB 1455 signed (Chapter 731), requiring emergency rulemaking if the regular process would miss the deadline |
| 16 June 2026 | Zone 0 Advisory Committee votes unanimously to forward the draft to the full Board |
| 23 July 2026 | Staff technical review and clarification memorandum |
| August 19, 2026 | Board of Forestry adopts the emergency regulations |
| August 20, 2026 | Notice of Proposed Emergency Action published |
Where it is right now
We cannot yet confirm the package has reached OAL. As of September 5, 2026 it does not appear on either of OAL's public tables — not on the pending queue, and not among recent actions. Board staff said they would submit promptly after adoption. That means one of three things: the submission has not happened yet, it has happened but OAL's pages have not caught up, or it is filed under a number we have not found. We will publish the file number here as soon as it is visible on OAL's own page, and not before.
What happens next
OAL conducts an expedited review under AB 1455 to determine whether the regulations satisfy the Administrative Procedure Act. Following the public comment period and OAL approval, the regulations become effective upon filing with the Secretary of State — not on a quarterly date, and not after any further waiting period.
Board staff expected the regulations could become effective in September 2026.
Why this is an emergency rulemaking
AB 1455 required that if adopting through the regular APA process would inhibit compliance with the deadline in Executive Order N-18-25, the regulations must be adopted as emergency regulations, and OAL must treat them as necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety and general welfare.
Two consequences. There is no Initial or Final Statement of Reasons — the emergency equivalents are the Finding of Emergency and the Notice of Proposed Emergency Action. And unlike ordinary emergency regulations, these do not lapse: AB 1455 authorises readoption and makes adopted or readopted emergency regulations effective until revised by the Board. There is no 180-day cliff and no certificate of compliance treadmill.
Check it yourself
Two pages, both updated by OAL rather than by us:
- Emergency regulations under review — the pending queue. The Board of Forestry entry appears here while OAL is considering it.
- Recent actions taken on emergency regulations — when the file moves here marked Approved, that date is the effective date.
- Or call the Board contact below, or OAL's Reference Attorney, and ask directly. Both will tell you in a minute.
Roughly one in ten filings on that second page is withdrawn rather than approved, so approval is not a formality — though given the statutory direction behind this one, disapproval would be surprising.
Contacts
Board of Forestry contact: Jane Van Susteren, (916) 619-9705, jane.vansusteren@bof.ca.gov
OAL Reference Attorney: (916) 323-6815, staff@oal.ca.gov
Sections affected
Adopted: 14 CCR 1298.01, 1298.02, 1298.03, 1298.04 — the Local Responsibility Area track.
Amended: 14 CCR 1299.01, 1299.02, 1299.03 — the State Responsibility Area track.
Sources: Board of Forestry Notice of Proposed Emergency Action, August 20, 2026; Full Board Decision Memo, August 2026; AB 1455 (Chapter 731, Statutes of 2025); Office of Administrative Law emergency regulations tables, checked September 5, 2026.