Lawmakers have sent two bills to Governor Gavin Newsom that aim to improve the recovery process after a wildfire. One of these bills would create first-in-the-nation standards for smoke damage testing and remediation.
After the LA County fires, many homes were damaged but didn’t burn down. But their owners are still waiting to move back in 21 months later because they’ve been negotiating with their insurance companies about who’s going to pay for testing and cleanup. Many of the survivors don’t want to move back into their homes without knowing whether it’s safe to do so.
If these bills become law, they would specify what kind of toxic materials and chemicals to test for. That way, insurance companies would know what they should pay for and it would keep the process from dragging on.
One bill cannot become law without the other.
Even if Newsom signs them, they won’t be an overnight fix. The state would have until 2028 just to create the new smoke damage standards much less enforce them.