California Lawmakers Pass Bills to Increase Fines and Establish Contingency Funds for Industrial Accidents
California state lawmakers have passed two bills aimed at addressing industrial accidents, prompted by a massive fire at a cold storage facility in Los Angeles' Boyle Heights neighborhood in June. Assembly Bill 817, introduced by Assemblymember Mark González, would require owners or operators of cold storage facilities to establish and maintain a contingency fund to cover costs for air purifiers, masks, and other health essentials for neighbors in the event of an accident. Senate Bill 716, by Sen. María Elena Durazo, would significantly raise the fines local agencies can levy against companies posing health and safety threats, increasing them to up to $50,000 per violation from current limits of a few hundred or thousand dollars. Both bills initially apply to Los Angeles County and are set to expand statewide by July 1, 2028. The bills now await Governor Gavin Newsom's consideration. 
