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Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act

HR 5366 · Became law · last action September 11, 2026

<p><strong>Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act</strong></p><p>This act extends the federal tax deduction for qualified disaster-related personal casualty losses and the exclusion from gross income of qualified wildfire relief payments.</p><p>Under current law, unreimbursed personal casualty losses arising in a qualified disaster area (qualified disaster-related personal casualty losses) are deductible (as an itemized tax deduction or as part of the standard tax deduction) if such losses exceed $500 per casualty. A <em>qualified disaster area</em> is an area with respect to which a major disaster has been declared during the period beginning in 2020 and ending 60 days after&nbsp;July 4, 2025, if the incident period begins on or after December 28, 2019, and on or before July 4, 2025.</p><p>The act extends the federal tax deduction for qualified disaster-related personal casualty losses by defining a <em>qualified disaster area</em> as an area with respect to which a major disaster&nbsp;has been declared if the incident period&nbsp;begins on or after December 28, 2019, and before January 1, 2027.</p><p>The act provides&nbsp;that the exclusion from gross income of qualified wildfire relief payments applies to such payments attributable to forest or range fires declared a federal disaster after 2014 and before 2027, regardless of when such payments are received. (Currently, qualified wildfire relief payments attributable to forest or range fires declared a federal disaster after 2014 and received after 2019 and before 2026 may be excluded from gross income.)</p><p>The act also provides statutory authority for several related tax rules.</p>

Sponsor

W. Steube (R-FL)

Associated votes

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Official summary

<p><strong>Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act</strong></p><p>This act extends the federal tax deduction for qualified disaster-related personal casualty losses and the exclusion from gross income of qualified wildfire relief payments.</p><p>Under current law, unreimbursed personal casualty losses arising in a qualified disaster area (qualified disaster-related personal casualty losses) are deductible (as an itemized tax deduction or as part of the standard tax deduction) if such losses exceed $500 per casualty. A <em>qualified disaster area</em> is an area with respect to which a major disaster has been declared during the period beginning in 2020 and ending 60 days after&nbsp;July 4, 2025, if the incident period begins on or after December 28, 2019, and on or before July 4, 2025.</p><p>The act extends the federal tax deduction for qualified disaster-related personal casualty losses by defining a <em>qualified disaster area</em> as an area with respect to which a major disaster&nbsp;has been declared if the incident period&nbsp;begins on or after December 28, 2019, and before January 1, 2027.</p><p>The act provides&nbsp;that the exclusion from gross income of qualified wildfire relief payments applies to such payments attributable to forest or range fires declared a federal disaster after 2014 and before 2027, regardless of when such payments are received. (Currently, qualified wildfire relief payments attributable to forest or range fires declared a federal disaster after 2014 and received after 2019 and before 2026 may be excluded from gross income.)</p><p>The act also provides statutory authority for several related tax rules.</p>