MENDOCINO CO., 3/17/26 – A bipartisan group of lawmakers has reintroduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to keep wildfire disaster relief payments exempt from federal income taxes through 2032.
Rep. Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, introduced the bill last week, naming it the Doug LaMalfa Protect Innocent Victims of Taxation After Fire Extension Act in honor of the late Northern California congressman.
LaMalfa, who represented California’s 1st Congressional District and introduced similar legislation in 2025, died earlier this year.
The proposal would extend provisions of the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act that shield certain wildfire-related payments from taxation. The exemption applies to compensation for living expenses, lost wages, personal injury, death and emotional distress tied to qualified wildfire disasters.
Without the extension, those payments could again be treated as taxable income under federal law.
Reps. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, Blake Moore, R-Utah, Cliff Bentz, R-Oregon, Janelle Bynum, D-Oregon and Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, are also supporting the measure.
LaMalfa had introduced similar legislation in 2025.