The proposed legislation would hold industrial corporations operating in residential areas to higher standards. Karma Dickerson reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.
Two state lawmakers announced Wednesday they are preparing a legislative response to the massive warehouse fire in Boyle Heights.
Nearly two months after the fire at the Lineage warehouse broke out on June 17, millions of pounds of rotting food remain inside, causing putrid odors, and attracting flies and pests.
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WATCH HEREOn Wednesday, Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles) and state Sen. María Elena Durazo, who represents District 26, joined Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to announce new proposed legislation that would hold certain businesses, like Lineage, to higher standards.
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González announced Assembly Bill 817, which would make financial settlements that people receive related to the disaster tax free. It also requires companies to create a community contingency fund in the event they cause an environmental disaster. The money would cover things like housing and food assistance, as well as air quality monitoring.
"If you're going to operate in a community, you have a responsibility to that community," Gonzalez said. "And if something goes wrong, the community should not have to beg for the resources just to survive it."
Durazo's Senate Bill 716 would raise the city and county cap on fines for non-residential buildings larger than 20,000 feet.
LA County's Department of Public Health has inspected and found violations at the Lineage facility at least 19 times. Tuesday's report found continued instances of rotting food waste and flies.
NBCLA has previously reported that an inspector identified some flies onsite as green bottle flies, known to cause myiasis, an infectious disease.
Despite the nearly daily violations, fines that Public Health levies against Lineage max out at $2,000 a day.
"These fines are too small, too small to matter to a billion-dollar corporation," Durazo said, later adding, "When violations stem from a declared disaster, they can be multiplied 10 times to $50,000 per violation. That's a greater leverage to force rapid remediation."
The lawmakers say this isn't about taking down a business but rather standing up for communities.
"Do I trust the politicians when they come and say that they're going to make changes? No. We need to see the actual results of this," said Mirla Valenzuela, who lives in Boyle Heights. "Don't just tell us, do it."
There are only two weeks left in this legislative session.
As of Tuesday, 92% of the food waste in the warehouse has been removed, according to Lineage. That still leaves about 7 million pounds to be cleared before Friday's deadline.
