Executive Actions to Return and Rebuild

In response to the January wildfires, Mayor Bass has taken a number of executive actions to clear the way for Los Angeles residents and business owners to return and rebuild as quickly and safely as possible:

• Emergency Executive Order 1 – Expedited Community Rebuilding and Recovery: This Executive Order cleared the way for L.A. residents to rapidly rebuild by cutting red tape. Specifically, it streamlined debris removal, established the One-Stop Rebuilding Center, directed City departments to expedite building permit reviews and inspections in 30 days or less for rebuilding homes as they were, and more (See EO1 Implementation Guidelines here).
• Emergency Executive Order 2 – Expediting Measures to Protect Water, Beaches and Ocean From Hazardous Pollutants: Ahead of wet weather, this Executive Order directed crews to shore up burn areas to mitigate the health and environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants on the stormwater system, beaches, and ocean and to protect vulnerable hillsides.
• Emergency Executive Order 3 – Providing Tax Relief for Businesses Directly Impacted by Wildfires: Following Mayor Bass' action to postpone the 2024 City business tax payment deadline for businesses affected by the wildfires, this Executive Order waived 2025 business taxes for impacted firms.
• Emergency Executive Order 4 – Temporary School and Child Care Facility Use: This Executive Order was issued to expedite the reopening of schools and child care centers by increasing enrollment caps and allowing damaged schools or child care facilities to operate elsewhere in the city to help families move forward.
• Emergency Executive Order 5 – Resilient Rebuilding: This Executive Order was issued to help Palisades residents expedite the rebuilding of their homes and businesses in ways that better protect against wildfires and other climate-fueled disasters.
• Emergency Executive Order 6 – Self-Certification Pilot Program: This Emergency Executive Order established Los Angeles’ first ever plan check Self-Certification pilot program to reduce time spent on the permitting process for the rebuilding of homes damaged or destroyed by the Palisades Fire. Self-certification is a strategy that supports homeowners in the plan check process by allowing qualified architects to self-certify that their plans meet the California Residential Code. Under the Self-Certification pilot program, plans that are submitted for qualifying homes will no longer require plan check, but the buildings themselves will still be inspected for code compliance to ensure they are safe.
• Emergency Executive Order 7 – Suspending Collection of Plan Check and Permit Fees: This Executive Order directed City departments to refrain from collecting permit and plan check fees associated with the repair or reconstruction of homes damaged or destroyed by the January wildfires, pending City Council’s adoption of an amendment to waive these fees.
• Emergency Executive Order 8 (and partially revised EO1) – Expanding Pathways for Expedited Residential Rebuilding: This Executive Order further streamlined the permitting process for those seeking to rebuild beyond 110% to align with California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent order, including an expansion of the scope of single-family home projects eligible for the State's emergency suspension of CEQA and the California Coastal Act.
• Emergency Executive Order 9 – Local Prohibition of SB 9 in Burn Areas: This Executive Order prohibits Senate Bill 9 applications within a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone in the boundaries of the Palisades Fire area, aligning with Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order.
• Emergency Executive Order 10 – Expedited Commercial Rebuilding and Recovery: This Executive Order introduced a set of emergency measures designed to streamline the rebuilding process for commercial properties located within the Palisades Commercial Village and Neighborhoods Specific Plan area, including properties in the Coastal Zone.
• Executive Directive 10 – Artificial Intelligence Pilot Program: This Executive Directive directed City teams to report back on the feasibility of implementing an AI tool to accelerate pre-plan check reviews. Over the summer, the City launched Archistar’s eCheck AI Pilot to help homeowners review building plans for compliance with local building and zoning rules prior to submitting them to the City and formally starting the application process. The tool is available at no cost to homeowners and design professionals.  
• Executive Directive 13 – Accelerating Rebuilding through a Pre-Approved Standard Plan Pilot Program: This Executive Directive launched a pre-approved standard plan pilot program for single-family homes, creating a public-facing, virtual library of pre-approved, code-compliant designs to fast-track rebuild projects.