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California lawmakers move to speed up rebuilding, recovery in Los Angeles with new legislation

Lawmakers announce legislation to fast-track rebuilding, recovery in fire-torn LA
Lawmakers announce legislation to fast-track rebuilding, recovery in fire-torn LA 02:39

Lawmakers from across California announced new legislative proposals Thursday intended to speed up rebuilding and recovery efforts in Los Angeles County as thousands remain evacuated from their homes. 

Most of the proposed bills work to protect homeowners and renters impacted by the destructive wildfires that tore through an area spanning more than 50 square miles over the last week, burning down businesses, schools, churches and entire neighborhoods of homes, from apartments to sprawling estates. 

Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Malibu are among the communities left most devastated.

Powerful Winds Fuel Multiple Fires Across Los Angeles Area
ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 9: Khaled Fouad, left, and Mimi Laine, right, embrace as they inspect a family member's property that was destroyed by Eaton Fire on Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif.  Getty Images

"We will move quickly to approve some billions of dollars in funding," California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas told reporters at a news conference outside the Rose Bowl in Pasadena Thursday. 

He said some of the major concerns facing LA are the cleanup of toxic debris removal — so people can safely get back into their homes — and rebuilding of homes as well as tenants protections.

"This is the number one issue we're hearing from Angelenos right now: how to find housing, how to stay in housing, how to rebuild housing," Rivas said. "We want those affected by these fires to know that immediate help is on the way."

Several of the more than two dozen lawmakers at Thursday's news conference warned LA County homeowners against selling to land investors, who they say may be taking advantage of the wildfires' devastation. Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) said she will be introducing legislation that will prohibit "unsolicited offers" for "an amount less than fair market value," which she said may be made to wildfire survivors by predatory investors.

New California legislative proposals

Bills to speed up rebuilding for homeowners

  • No new additions to state or local building standards — unless they're needed to address safety and health risks or they're intended to add fire-resistant infrastructure — would be mandated under a bill being introduced by Assemblymember Nick Schultz (D-Burbank).
  • In the coastal zone, homeowners would no longer need to get a coastal development permit for an ADU — or Accessory Dwelling Unit, which includes backyard cottages, in-law apartment or other secondary units — as part of another proposed law. This legislation has been co-authored by Rivas and Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood).

Zbur said this waiving of the current requirement would be "allowing families to live on their properties while they rebuild their lives."

"But this bill is about more than rebuilding structures," Zbur said. "It's about restoring a sense of stability, dignity and hope to those who have lost so much. And it's about doing it expeditiously."

  • A bill authored by Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo (D-Santa Clarita) seeks to accelerate the process of state permit review for reconstruction, requiring state agencies to follow current guidelines on approval timelines so rebuilding efforts can speed along.

Bills to protect tenants who have been displaced

  • Current law sets a 30-day rule for when Los Angeles tenants' rights kick while they are staying in a short-term rental, such as a hotel, motel or Airbnb. A law proposed by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) would lift this 30-day rule since, under the existing law, landlords of these short-term rentals often do not rent longer than 30 days so they can avoid tenants' protections taking effect.
  • Another proposed bill would create a temporary exemption for evictions when a tenant is allowing other displaced people to stay in their home as well as pets — if the pets are allowed under their current lease. This legislation being authored by McKinnor is intended to help LA residents house others who have lost their homes or are otherwise affected by the wildfires.

McKinnor said she will also be introducing legislation to "support families now and protect families from predatory investors in the future." The legislation would mirror the executive order announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom this week, she said.

McKinnor said this is especially crucial in preserving fire-torn communities which have held a unique place in the culture and history of greater Los Angeles, describing Altadena and its historic Black community as one such place.

"I have spoken with many families including a number of impacted families from the historically Black neighborhoods of Altadena," McKinnor said Thursday. "These Black families have been an important part of the history of LA County for generations. When red-lining and restrictive racial covenants prevented many Black families from owning property, Altadena became an anomaly. It blossomed as the region where Black families were able to buy land, build homes and grow generational wealth."

"This history is vital — a vital part of Los Angeles County's dynamic culture, and it's under attack by unscrupulous speculative land investors trying to take advantage of this natural disaster and its associated trauma for their own financial gain," she said.

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