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Californians have experienced some of the worst fires in the state’s history and rebuilding can often be a lengthy and arduous process, not to mention costly. Earlier this year, Senator Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) introduced SB 542 to help alleviate excessive taxation on payments to those victims. Ultimately, the bill’s language was incorporated into the 2023-2024 budget bill SB 131 that was signed by the governor.
“Victims of wildfires need to be properly compensated by the responsible party and/or their insurance company. It is difficult to understand the tremendous loss that many have suffered due to wildfires. California needs to do right by these victims and not only improve electrical infrastructure and wildfire preparedness for the future, but also provide immediate relief to those who are already struggling financially,” stated Dahle.
The Zogg Fire was a catastrophic wildfire that burned portions of Shasta and Tehama County, and according to the incident report, there were 27 structures damaged and 204 structures destroyed.
“This bill in the budget excludes PG&E settlement payments awarded to victims of the 2020 Zogg Fire from gross income, meaning those payments would not be subject to income taxes. Wildfire victims are trying to rebuild after their lives have been devastated, and paying more taxes while trying to recover doesn’t help.”
Senator Dahle has been a longtime advocate of wildfire prevention and safety.