Assembly Budget Committee hears $2.5 billion emergency wildfire relief, members press for quick local aid and clearer reporting

The Assembly Budget Committee met in an informational hearing on Jan. 14 to review emergency funding for communities affected by recent Southern California wildfires, with the Department of Finance outlining a package of onetime general‑fund support and committee members urging quicker delivery of aid and clearer reporting.

The hearing focused on two special-session bills, referred to in testimony as ABX14 and ABX15, and a broader funding package the Department of Finance described as emergency wildfire relief for Los Angeles and nearby areas. "The total funding for the fire related package includes $2,500,000,000, onetime general fund to expedite support," said Stephen Benson of the Department of Finance during the presentation.

Why it matters: Committee members from affected districts called for immediate action to get resources to local governments, schools and shelters, and they pressed administration witnesses on how quickly funds for building inspections, debris removal, air and water testing, and school recovery will flow to the ground.

Department of Finance summary and reporting

Stephen Benson, the Department of Finance presenter, listed core allowable uses that match disaster-response activities: emergency protective measures, evacuations, sheltering survivors, removal of household hazardous materials, post‑fire hazard assessments, traffic control and some debris‑removal costs. Benson said the package also includes targeted funding for schools and local permitting support.

Benson said the administration will post an expenditure report to the Department of Finance website, starting "on or about February 7" and updated at the end of each month through April. "The expenditure report is going to be posted on or about February 7... and then it will be updated on or before February 28, March 31 and April 30," Benson said.

Not all numbers in testimony were entirely consistent. Benson described the overall package as $2.5 billion but also spoke later in the hearing about ABX14 and ABX15 each including $1.5 billion. Committee members and staff said the provisional language allows one portion of the funding to be transferred on notice to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and that the remaining funds will be subject to a short review period prior to transfer.

Targeted allocations for schools and local permitting

Finance officials said the package includes $4 million in one‑time general fund for the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to help impacted local governments expedite planning review and building-inspection resources during recovery. Testimony repeatedly described that funding as intended to shorten permitting timelines for rebuilding.

The bills also include an initial $1 million for school‑facility assistance: $250,000 for the Division of the State Architect (DSA) and $750,000 for the Office of Public School Construction (OPSC) to provide technical assistance to Los Angeles Unified, Pasadena Unified and impacted charter schools. "The language gives pretty broad flexibility for both DSA and OPSC to provide appropriate and timely response to efforts on the ground," Michelle Nguyen of the Department of Finance said.

Members said the $1 million is an early, limited step and pressed officials on how it will be used and how displaced students will be served. "I've spoken to the budget chair and to the budget chair on the senate side as well... it's literally 100 [students]" who have moved into nearby districts, said one committee member raising the Santa Monica example. Amber Alexander of the Department of Finance replied: "That is something that is very much on our radar."

Committee concerns and requests

Members from fire‑affected districts asked for speed and clarity on several fronts:

- Rapid allocation and short timelines for the $4 million HCD permitting funds so local governments can begin inspections and approvals. - Air and water testing and environmental remediation funding for public health protection; members said local agencies are already organizing testing needs and that those needs should be eligible uses. - Erosion and mudflow mitigation in burn‑scar watersheds ahead of winter rains; members referenced existing state task‑force work on watershed and erosion control and asked how quickly funding could support those projects. - Prioritization of assistance for low‑income, historically marginalized and rental‑dependent communities; speakers urged allocation strategies based on need, ZIP code and income rather than ability to self‑fund rebuilding.

Several members also urged the Legislature and administration to treat prevention and resilience as a continuing priority even though the special‑session bills discussed at the hearing focus on response and recovery. "This is the beginning of a much longer conversation," Chair Gabriel said, reflecting comments across the dais calling for further policy work on Cal Fire staffing, fuel‑reduction, mapping and other prevention measures.

Public testimony and sector impacts

More than a dozen organizations and local governments gave public comment. Pasadena city staff and Los Angeles County education and social‑services representatives urged fast, flexible state support. Child‑care providers and advocates flagged that 323 child‑care facilities in the region were affected, including 41 destroyed facilities, and requested targeted help to maintain or restore care for displaced families.

Justice in Aging, senior advocates and disability organizations asked that older adults and people with disabilities be prioritized in recovery planning; they noted older adults accounted for a majority of deaths in these fires and face higher homelessness risk. Labor and county representatives asked that local public‑sector workers be protected from contracting‑out for response activities.

What the bills do and next steps

- Allowable uses: Department of Finance testimony framed allowable uses consistent with disaster response—shelter, hazardous‑materials removal, debris, temporary housing supports, emergency staffing and some school‑facility technical assistance. - Reporting and oversight: Finance said it will post regular expenditure reports beginning in early February and that transfers for an initial portion of funds may proceed on notice to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, with a short review period for additional transfers. - No votes today: Committee Chair Gabriel opened the hearing by noting it was informational only and that votes on the wildfire bills were expected during the floor session the following day.

Ending

Committee members said they will press for speed, transparency and distribution rules that prioritize need and protect vulnerable populations as the administration converts the temporary allocations into on‑the‑ground aid. Officials from the Department of Finance and Assembly Budget staff said the reporting schedule and further provisional language will be used to coordinate timing with the budget process and to inform potential additional actions in April and June.

"We know we have a lot of work to do, but I know we are all in this together," Chair Gabriel said at the start of the hearing, and members ended the session urging continued collaboration as recovery moves from immediate response to a months‑long rebuilding effort.