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Committee designates AB 27 a suspense-file measure after testimony from Chiquita Canyon residents about health, utility costs
Summary
AB 27 would exclude disaster relief payments related to the Chiquita Canyon landfill fire from gross income and from eligibility calculations for public benefits; the committee designated the bill a suspense candidate after testimony from residents and stakeholder witnesses.
Assembly Bill 27, presented by Assemblymember Gonzales (presenting as "Ms. Schiavo" in the transcript), would exclude certain disaster-relief payments from gross income so that recipients would not lose eligibility for benefits such as CalFresh or Medi-Cal or face taxation on the assistance. The bill is described in testimony as aimed at residents affected by the prolonged fire at the Chiquita Canyon landfill.
Multiple residents from Val Verde and surrounding areas testified about ongoing health issues, increased utility and medical costs, and use of relief funds to harden homes (air conditioning, HEPA filtration, window replacement), temporary relocation, and other expenses tied to living near the burning landfill. Witnesses said some residents avoided reapplying for public benefits because they feared relief dollars would disqualify them.
Assemblymember Gonzales said constituents are facing a public-health emergency with persistent toxic fumes and that relief funds have been critical but create uncertainty for recipients regarding taxation and benefits eligibility. The author told the committee the intention is to ensure payments given for disaster-related costs are not counted as gross income for state tax or benefit purposes. Committee members asked whether the bill should explicitly name "landfill" payments in the exclusion language; the author said they wanted to keep the language broad to include other relief funds but would consider clarifying amendments.
No primary witnesses opposed the bill during the hearing; the committee designated AB 27 a suspense candidate for further consideration and fiscal review.
