Governor Newsom Signs SB 716 and AB 817 to Protect Communities After the Lineage Fire
Governor Newsom Signs SB 716 and AB 817 to Protect Communities After the Lineage Fire
LOS ANGELES, CA - Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 716 and AB 817, legislation authored by Senator María Elena Durazo and Assemblymember Mark González in response to the devastating fire that occurred at the Lineage cold storage facility in Boyle Heights. These two bills are part of a legislative and budget package sponsored by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
“Boyle Heights showed us the lasting impact a major facility emergency can have on a community," said Governor Gavin Newsom. "These laws strengthen the tools, resources and accountability needed to protect residents and help communities respond when emergencies happen.”
"Thank you, Governor Newsom, for signing SB 716 and AB 817 into law. Families in Boyle Heights and East LA were exposed to toxic smoke and lived with the stench of millions of pounds of rotting food for months. They could not open their windows and could not let their kids play outside. Their health suffered, while the company responsible faced fines too small to matter,” said Senator María Elena Durazo. “Today, Governor Newsom sent a clear message: corporations that put our communities at risk will finally face consequences that reflect the harm they cause. Alongside AB 817, SB 716 exists because this community endured this crisis, organized in response to it, and demanded better because of it. This is their victory. Thank you again, Governor Newsom, and thank you to Mayor Bass and our community partners for championing these bills alongside us from the very beginning."
“When disaster strikes, people should never have to fight just to be heard—their government should already be standing beside them," said Assemblymember Mark González. "From day one, I was determined to translate this unwarranted, undeserved tragedy into meaningful policy. Today, with the signing of AB 817 and SB 716, we do just that: demand greater accountability and ensure our communities are never left to face a crisis alone."
"The Lineage fire left a deep wound in Boyle Heights, Montebello, Commerce, and the surrounding communities, one that will take a long time to heal. What happened cannot be undone. The suffering our neighbors went through cannot be reversed. But we can decide what happens next,” said Assemblymember Mark González. “I want to thank Governor Newsom for listening to the people of Boyle Heights and for signing AB 817 and SB 716 into law. These measures give us a plan, resources, accountability, and the tools to act when our communities need their government most. Our communities deserve more than promises. They deserve action, accountability, and respect. ¡Sí se puede!"
“I appreciate Governor Newsom signing this critical legislation that Assemblymember Mark González, Senator María Elena Durazo, and I worked on and got across the finish line to help the people of Boyle Heights and East LA. These pieces of legislation ensure cold storage companies take responsibility for the impacts of their operations, provide critical protections for residents in the event of an emergency, and allow cities and counties to impose higher fines when the health and safety of communities are threatened,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “I will continue doing everything in my authority to connect residents to critical assistance and to demand the answers and accountability this community deserves.”
Overview of the Legislation:
SB 716 raises the ceiling on city and county ordinance fines for large non-residential structures so that penalties scale with the severity of the violation. The current cap on fines is $2,000 per day. SB 716 introduces an escalating structure and the ability to multiply fines, up to $50,000 per violation. It gives local governments meaningful leverage to compel rapid remediation.
AB 817 will ensure that Lineage cannot rebuild without being accountable to the local community. Specifically, this bill will:
- Prevent the city and county from issuing a new building permit for cold storage facilities like Lineage, unless they maintain a contingency fund that can be accessed in states of emergency. This fund will ensure substantial funding is available for food assistance, housing assistance, air quality monitoring, environmental cleanup, and remediation of any hazardous materials.
- Ensure any settlements that residents get from this incident are exempt from state taxes.
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Senator María Elena Durazo represents the 26th Senate District which includes Central Los Angeles, Northeast Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, and the City of Vernon.
