California Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation Providing Disaster Relief to Californians

09/21/2007 -- California Governor Schwarzenegger announced today that he signed four bills to provide disaster relief to Californians that were affected by wildfires in 2006 and 2007 and the freeze this last winter.

“The devastation caused by the record-setting freeze we experienced this past winter and the wildfires over the last two years caused great hardship and loss for so many families, businesses and communities,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “I made a commitment to do everything in my power to assist the victims in recovering from these disasters and to help them restore their communities as quickly as possible. The funds that these bills provide for the affected areas are a significant step forward in completing that process.”

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SB 38 by Senator Jim Battin (R-La Quinta) provides financial assistance to Riverside County and tax relief to residents affected by the wildfires that occurred in October 2006.

SB 114 by Senator Dean Florez (D-Shafter) provides financial assistance to El Dorado, Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, Monterey, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Tulare, Ventura and Yuba Counties and tax relief to residents affected by the severe cold weather and freezing that occurred in those counties during January 2007.

AB 62 by Assemblymember Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) provides financial assistance to Ventura, El Dorado and Santa Barbara Counties and tax relief to residents affected by the wildfires that occurred in those counties during 2006 and 2007.

AB 297 by Assemblymember Bill Maze (R-Visalia) provides a property tax exemption for fruit and nut trees affected by the freeze of January 2007.

In response to the record-setting freeze in January 2007, Governor Schwarzenegger provided more than $4.2 million in aid to food banks so that they could meet the emergency food needs of people impacted by the freeze and also authorized $3.25 million in emergency funding to help victims make rent, mortgage and utility payments.

In October 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger proclaimed a state of emergency for Riverside County due to the wildfires and in February 2007, the Governor signed SB 41 by Senator Battin which enacted the California Fallen Firefighters Assistance Tax Clarification Act of 2006 in the wake of the five firefighters who lost their lives battling the Esperanza Fire last year.

A state of emergency was declared in Ventura County in September 2006 due to the Day Fire; El Dorado County in June 2007 due to the Angora Fire; and Santa Barbara County and Ventura County in August 2007 due to the Zaca Fire.

Source: California Governor