Following the fires that ravaged Southern California, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., proposed a series of bills that would improve fire-prevention efforts, increase federal aid to victims of major disasters, and require states to create a database of criminal arsonists earlier this month.
Four bills comprise the legislative package: the Fire Safe Community Act, the Mortgage and Rental Disaster Relief Act, the Disaster Rebuilding Assistance Act and the Matching Arson Through Criminal History (MATCH) Act.
California’s other Democratic senator, Barbara Boxer, is co-sponsoring the Mortgage and Rental Disaster Relief Act, the Disaster Rebuilding Assistance Act and the MATCH Act.
The Fire Safe Community Act would create new incentives for communities at a high risk of wildfires to improve their fire prevention efforts. A model ordinance would be created to provide a basic outline for communities to become “fire safe.”
It would include things like suggested water supply, construction materials and techniques, defensible space, vegetation management and infrastructure standards. The act would also develop a $25 million grant program to assist local communities with implementing the new model ordinance.
To qualify for a grant, communities must be in a high fire danger area and the community must be taking steps toward executing the new model ordinance. This act would essentially offer incentives and grants if communities actively try to be more fire-safe.
The Mortgage and Rental Disaster Relief Act would help people who have been through a disaster but still have mortgage or lease payments to make on top of temporary lodging. Requirements include living in an area the president has declared a disaster area.
Recipients must also be at imminent risk of foreclosure or eviction. Also, by setting an income limit, people who really eed aid will get it. Households, in high-cost states like California, that make less than $100,000 a year will be eligible, but in states with a lower cost the limit may be $75,000 a year.
The Disaster Rebuilding Assistance Act would provide financial aid to families whose insurance policy does not cover the entire cost of rebuilding. It would increase the amount of federal aid for qualified households to $50,000 from the current $28,000.
The MATCH Act would enable law enforcement and fire-safety officials to easily track arsonists. Each state would create a statewide registry of criminal arsonists who would be required to register and keep the registration up to date.
However, arsonists would never have to stay registered permanently. The number of offenses by the arsonist would determine the number of years on the list.
The information in the registry would include information like the arsonist’s name, Social Security number, any applicable address, vehicle information, text of the law violated, a physical description, criminal history, photograph, a copy of a photo I.D. and fingerprints.
All of this information would be made available on the Internet.
