ORANGE COUNTY–Assemblymember Ta today announced that Assembly Bill 1416 has been signed into law by Governor Newsom, clarifying and strengthening property tax relief protections for California homeowners impacted by disasters.
Current law allows property tax collectors to defer payments on delinquent tax installment plans following a declared disaster, but only if the payment plan was already in place before the disaster. Unfortunately, many homeowners have seen their requests to enter into installment plans go unacknowledged, leaving them without protection during their time of greatest need.
AB 1416 ensures that homeowners who have already submitted a request to begin a delinquent property tax installment plan will be eligible for the disaster-related deferral, even if the plan has not yet been formally processed by counties. Any request submitted prior to the disaster will be deemed approved.
“AB 1416 fixes an oversight in the law that was putting families at risk of losing their homes,” said Assemblyman Ta. “If a home owner makes a good-faith effort to enter into a payment plan before disaster strikes, they shouldn’t be penalized because of administrative delay.”
This clarification provides counties with clear authority to honor installment plan requests already submitted prior to a disaster, allowing for deferral of payments and giving families time to recover without the added burden of foreclosure or tax penalties.
The bill received unanimous bipartisan support and takes effect January 1, 2026.