In a historic policy change, California is moving to pay incarcerated firefighters the federal minimum wage during active fires.

The wage increase, funded through the new state budget, follows .. pay and working conditions for incarcerated labor.

That effort took on a new urgency after hundreds of incarcerated firefighters were deployed to battle deadly wildfires that hit Los Angeles in January.

Incarcerated firefighters currently earn between $5.80 and $10.24 per .. according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

During active emergencies, CAL FIRE pays them an additional $1 per hour.

At the end of June, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new state budget with $10 million to pay incarcerated firefighters $7.25 an hour when they're on a fire.

It will take effect January 1st, as long as the legislature passes a bill that would mandate the policy.

The bill, which received bipartisan support from nearly two dozen lawmakers, was opposed by the California State Sheriffs' Association over concerns of its potential fiscal impact on counties.

California's incarcerated firefighters have long provided critical support to state, local, and federal government agencies in responding to various emergencies, including wildfires and floods.

Over 1,800 incarcerated firefighters live year-round in minimum-security conservation camps, also known as Fire Camps, located across 25 counties in California, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Both state and federal legislation have been introduced this year to try and shore up the pipeline for incarcerated people to land in firefighting careers once they've been released.

For CalMatters, I'm Cayla Mihalovich.