California relaxes regulations to help disaster victims rebuild, delay tax payments, and return to school

Governor Newsom recently signed multiple executive orders to ease certain regulations in California, aiming to help students in Los Angeles fire-affected areas continue their education, residents to rebuild their homes swiftly, and businesses to delay reporting state taxes.

According to a press release on the 14th, Newsom will temporarily suspend several California education regulations, allowing homeless students to attend schools outside their districts, damaged or burnt schools to use temporary facilities as needed, avoiding penalties for schools that do not meet certain standards, and instructing state government agencies to work with affected schools to develop plans for serving homeless students and rebuilding schools.

To assist victims of the Los Angeles fires in quickly restoring their homes and businesses, the governor issued an executive order on January 12th suspending permit and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act and the California Coastal Act. Price gouging protection measures for building materials, storage services, construction, and other essential goods and services in Los Angeles County have been extended until January 7, 2026.

On January 11th, Newsom met with frontline personnel fighting the fires in various locations in Los Angeles and announced tax relief for Los Angeles County. The deadline for filing and paying personal income taxes for Los Angeles County taxpayers for the year 2024 has been extended from April 15th to October 15th, aligning with the federal extension for California wildfire victims.

The tax forms and payments eligible for the extended deadline include: quarterly estimated payments normally due on January 15th, April 15th, June 15th, and September 15th in 2025; business or Pass-Through Entity (PTE) tax returns usually due on March 15th and April 15th; Pass-Through Entity quarterly installment payments typically due on March 15th and June 15th; and tax returns for tax-exempt organizations usually due on May 15th.

On January 14th, the Biden administration approved Newsom’s request for relief and announced that California wildfire victims could receive a one-time $770 federal grant for purchasing water, prescription drugs, and other essentials, as well as immediate temporary housing costs incurred after the fires.