Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger issued the following statement today, following Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of wildfire recovery legislation providing more protections and financial relief for survivors:
“Today’s bill signings deliver important protections for Eaton Fire survivors who are still fighting to recover and rebuild. I thank Governor Newsom and our state legislative partners for listening to survivors and taking action on the very real obstacles they continue to face.
AB 1642 and AB 1795 are especially important because survivors need clear, enforceable standards for addressing wildfire smoke contamination—and we need those standards to hold insurance companies’ feet to the fire. Homeowners should not have to repeatedly prove that a wildfire caused smoke damage or fight over what constitutes adequate remediation.
AB 1847, which I was proud to sponsor alongside Mayor Karen Bass, extends emergency mortgage forbearance protections from 12 to 24 months, giving survivors more breathing room as they rebuild. AB 1842 builds on that progress by establishing mortgage forbearance protections for homeowners impacted by future federally declared disasters.
These laws are meaningful progress, but we must collectively remember that Eaton Fire survivors will need sustained support and accountability for years to come.”