The House approved legislation Monday to extend tax breaks for victims of natural disasters.
The “Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act,” H.R. 5366, passed by voice vote. From Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), the bill would make it easier for people to claim personal losses after disasters. The bill is named for a California GOP lawmaker who died in January.
“When hurricanes, wildfires, floods, tornadoes and other natural disasters strike, American families are left to rebuild their homes, their businesses, their communities and their lives,” Steube said. “When these moments arise, the last thing they need is the federal government making their recovery harder by taxing relief payments or denying fair treatment for disaster losses.”
The proposal includes a section focused on exclusively on wildfires as states like California and Hawaii still have recovery efforts underway, said Rep. Vince Fong (R-Calif.).
