A bill that initially gave major protections to utility companies if their equipment sparked wildfires is nearing final action at the state Capitol. Many of those protections have been removed from the bill.
The measure was preliminarily approved by the Senate on Tuesday after an agreement was reached between lawmakers, utilities and opponents.
The bill still gives power companies some new cover from lawsuits while still allowing people and businesses affected by wildfires to sue and seek punitive damages.
But they would only be able to do so if a utility does not abide by their own wildfire mitigation plans. Those mitigation plans would have to be drafted by the company, but would need review from experts at the Department of Forestry and Fire Management.
The measure needs a final vote in the Senate before returning to the House.
