Yuba-Sutter Times

The House of Representatives announced today that H.R. 5863, The Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, will be considered for a vote during the week of May 20th. This legislation includes Congressman Doug LaMalfa’s (R-Richvale) bill, H.R. 4970, Protect Innocent Victims Of Taxation After Fire Act.

In January 2024, both the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act and the Protect Innocent Victims Of Taxation After Fire Act were incorporated into a larger bipartisan tax deal. This package included numerous non-disaster relief related provisions. Despite receiving overwhelming support in the House with a majority vote of 357-70, the Senate has yet to address the package due to its non-disaster tax relief provisions.

To expedite relief for disaster survivors, a bipartisan group of 218 Members of Congress advanced a discharge petition late Wednesday night. This petition mandates that the House bring H.R. 5863, the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, to the House floor for a vote. It is worth noting that this is only the third time in the last 22 years that a House discharge petition has succeeded. The bill will be considered under suspension of rules - an expedited process that bypasses approval and amendment by the Rules Committee but necessitates a two-thirds majority for passage.

Congressman LaMalfa stated: “A vast group of bipartisan lawmakers want disaster survivors to receive the financial relief they expect. It is very likely this initiative will pass out of the House once more by another large margin next week. Time after time, everyone has said there is no opposition to this bill concept, but it has been included with a package that ended up being controversial. Now we have the clean, standalone bill I had hoped to achieve from Day 1.”

Congressman Doug LaMalfa represents California’s First Congressional District which includes Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama and Yuba Counties. He has spent his life as a farmer.