Gov. Gavin Newsom signed three wildfire-recovery bills authored by Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena) on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at a ceremony in Altadena with fire survivors and community leaders.
The new laws establish the nation's first scientific standards for testing wildfire contamination in homes, extend mortgage forbearance for Eaton and Palisades fire survivors and create a statewide mortgage-relief program for homeowners displaced by future disasters.
The Eaton Fire, which started in January 2025, killed at least 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 structures. More than 13,000 of roughly 40,000 insurance claims filed since then involve smoke damage to homes that never burned, according to the California Department of Insurance. As of April 2026, 40% of wildfire survivors with standing but damaged homes remained displaced, a survey by the nonprofit Department of Angels found.
"Too many of my neighbors are still asking basic questions: is it safe to return home, and can I afford to rebuild?" Harabedian said at the signing.
What the bills do
Assembly Bill 1642 directs the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to adopt regulations on lead and asbestos testing and remediation after wildfires by Dec. 31, 2028. Harabedian's office called it the first law in the country setting scientific testing standards for when a home can be safely reoccupied after a fire. The bill was sponsored by Eaton Fire Residents United, an Altadena-based group with about 5,000 members.
AB 1642 becomes operative only if a companion bill, AB 1795 by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Gardena), takes effect by Jan. 1, 2027. That bill requires insurers to pay for qualifying lead and asbestos testing and bars them from cutting off additional living expense coverage until a home is remediated, Colorado Boulevard reported.
Assembly Bill 1847 extends the deadline for Eaton and Palisades fire survivors to request mortgage forbearance to Jan. 7, 2029. It doubles the total forbearance window from 12 months to 24 months under the original 2025 Mortgage Forbearance Act (AB 238), which Harabedian also authored.
Assembly Bill 1842, the California Mortgage Relief Act, creates a statewide program allowing homeowners whose homes are rendered uninhabitable by a major disaster to pause mortgage payments without late fees, penalties, foreclosure risk or negative credit reporting. According to a press release from Harabedian's office, it is the first such framework in the nation.
The Newsom administration said the CalAssist Mortgage Fund provides survivors up to 12 months and $100,000 in mortgage relief that does not have to be repaid. A separate $100 million Disaster Rebuilding Fund will make rebuilding loans more affordable, the administration said.
Local voices
L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger attended the signing. She said the laws provide enforceable standards for addressing wildfire smoke contamination and additional time for homeowners to rebuild. She added that Eaton Fire survivors "will need sustained support and accountability for years to come."
Jane Lawton Potelle, executive director of Eaton Fire Residents United, said the protections grew directly from survivor advocacy. "Families deserve science-based answers about whether their homes and their schools are safe, and until today no state in the nation had any to give them," she said, according to the East Bay Times.
Harabedian represents the 41st Assembly District. It includes Pasadena, Altadena, Sierra Madre, La Cañada Flintridge and Monrovia. In 2025, he authored two earlier wildfire bills that Newsom signed: AB 238, the Mortgage Forbearance Act, and AB 493, which requires financial institutions to pay homeowners at least 2% interest on hazard insurance proceeds held during rebuilding.
The DTSC must finalize its lead and asbestos testing regulations by Dec. 31, 2028, and guidance on other contaminants by Dec. 31, 2029. As of the week of the signing, local building departments had issued 8,450 permits for fire-area rebuilding, according to the Newsom administration.
