E X E C U T I V E D E P A R T M E N T STATE OF CALIFORNIA EXECUTIVE ORDER N-2-25

WHEREAS on January 7, 2025, I proclaimed a State of Emergency to exist in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties due to the Palisades Fire and windstorm conditions; and

WHEREAS the Palisades Fire has burned over 15,000 acres and additional fires have ignited and spread rapidly in Los Angeles County as a result of those windstorm conditions, including the Eaton, Hurst, Lidia, and Woodley Fires; and

WHEREAS these Los Angeles County fires and windstorm conditions continue to threaten structures, homes, and critical infrastructure, with over 170,000 residents under evacuation orders in Los Angeles County; and

WHEREAS these Los Angeles County fires and windstorm conditions have resulted in poor air quality and significant impacts to schools, including school closures and limited outdoor physical education; and

WHEREAS under the provisions of Government Code

section 8571, I find that strict compliance with various statutes and regulations specified in this Order would prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of these Los Angeles County fires and windstorm conditions.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the State Constitution and statutes, including the California Emergency Services Act, and in particular, Government Code

section 8567, 8571, and 8627, do hereby issue the following Order to become effective immediately. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT: 1. The provisions of Unemployment Insurance Code

section 1253 imposing a one-week waiting period for unemployment insurance applicants are suspended as to all applicants who are unemployed as a direct result of this emergency in Los Angeles County and apply for unemployment insurance benefits during the time period beginning January 7, 2025, and ending on the close of business on July 7, 2025, in Los Angeles County and who are otherwise eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. 2.

Vehicle Code sections 9265(a), 9867, 14901, 14902, and 15255.2, requiring the imposition of fees, are suspended with regard to any request for replacement of an identification card, driver's license card, vehicle registration certificate, or certificate of title, or registration stickers, by any individual who loses such records as a result this emergency in Los Angeles County. Such records shall be replaced without charge. 3.

The provisions of Vehicle Code sections 4602 and 5902, requiring the timely registration or transfer of title, are suspended with regard to any registration or transfer of title by any individual who is unable to comply with those requirements as a result of this emergency in Los Angeles County. The time covered by this suspension shall not be included in calculating any late penalty pursuant to Vehicle Code

section 9554.

4. Health and Safety Code sections 103525.5 and 103625, and Penal Code

section 14251, requiring the imposition of fees, are suspended with regard to any request for copies of certificates of birth, death, marriage, and dissolution of marriage records, by any individual who loses such records as a result of this emergency in Los Angeles County. Such copies shall be provided without charge. 5.

State statutes, rules, regulations, and requirements that fall within the jurisdiction of boards, departments, and offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Natural Resources Agency are hereby suspended to the extent necessary for expediting the removal and cleanup of debris from this emergency or to address other impacts associated with that debris, for implementing any restoration plan necessary for mitigation of the effects of the emergency, or conducting other fire recovery activities. 6.

Individuals or entities who desire to conduct activities under the suspension of statutes, rules, regulations, and requirements specified in Paragraph 5 shall first request that the appropriate Agency Secretary, or the Secretary's designee, make a determination that the proposed activities are eligible to be conducted under the suspension.

The Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency shall use sound discretion in applying this Order to ensure that the suspension serves the purpose of accelerating cleanup and recovery, while at the same time protecting public health and the environment. Each Agency shall maintain on its website a list of all suspensions approved under this Paragraph. 7.

Any activities performed under the suspension of statutes, rules, regulations, and requirements specified in Paragraph 5 shall be in accordance with the State Environmental Protection Plan, or a comparable plan describing how such actions will balance expeditious fire recovery and environmental protection. 8.

In order to ensure hospitals, clinics, and other health facilities remain open, the Director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) may waive any of the licensing requirements of chapters 1, 2, 8, and 8.5 of division 2 of the Health and Safety Code and accompanying regulations with respect to any hospital, clinic, other health facility, home health agency, or hospice agency identified in Health and Safety Code sections 1200, 1250, 1727, or 1746 that is impacted by this emergency.

Any waiver shall include alternative measures that, under the circumstances, will allow the facilities to remain open while protecting public health and safety. Any health facilities or agencies being granted a waiver shall be established and operated in accordance with their disaster and mass casualty plan or emergency preparedness plan. Any waivers granted pursuant to this paragraph shall be posted on the CDPH website and shall be in effect only so long as necessary to address the direct impacts of this emergency in Los Angeles County. 9.

In order to directly respond to the needs of impacted adult and senior care facilities, child care facilities, children’s residential facilities, resource family homes, home care organizations, and other similar care facilities and care providers within the California Department of Social Services’ (CDSS) jurisdiction, the Director of CDSS may waive any provisions of the Family Code, Health and Safety Code, or Welfare and

Institutions Code, and accompanying regulations or written directives, with respect to the use, licensing, certification, registration or approval of care providers, facilities or homes within CDSS jurisdiction set forth in the California Community Care Facilities Act (Health and Safety Code

section 1500 et seq.), Child Care Provider Registration (Health and Safety Code

section 1596.60 et seq.), the California Child Day Care Facilities Act (Health and Safety Code

section 1596.70 et seq.), Residential Care Facilities for Persons With Chronic Life-Threatening Illness (Health and Safety Code

section 1568.01 et seq.), the California Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly Act (Health and Safety Code

section 1569 et seq.), Medical Foster Homes for Veterans (Health and Safety Code

section 1568.21 et seq.), Continuing Care Contracts (Health and Safety Code

section 1770 et seq.), the Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act (Health and Safety Code

section 1796.10 et seq.), and the Resource Family Approval Program (Welfare and Institutions Code

section 16519.5 et seq.). Any waivers granted pursuant to this paragraph shall be posted on the CDSS website and shall be in effect only so long as necessary to address the direct impacts of this emergency in Los Angeles County. 10.

In order to directly respond to the needs of behavioral health programs and facilities impacted by this emergency, including alcohol and other drug programs, adult alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities, driving-under-the-influence programs, narcotic treatment programs, psychiatric health facilities, mental health rehabilitation centers, social rehabilitation programs, skilled nursing facilities with special treatment programs, Lanterman-Petris-Short designated facilities, community treatment facilities, short term residential therapeutic programs, and children’s crisis residential programs, the Director of the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) may waive any licensing, certification, or approval requirements for such programs under its jurisdiction set forth in Welfare and Institutions Code, Divisions 4, 5 and 9 and in Health and Safety Code, Divisions 2 and 10.5 and accompanying regulations, written standards, or information notices.

Any waivers granted pursuant to this paragraph shall be posted on the DHCS website and shall be in effect only so long as necessary to address the direct impacts of this emergency in Los Angeles County. 11. The requirements to provide minimum instructional minutes in physical education for grades 1 through 12 as provided by Education Code sections 51210, 51220, 51222, and 51223 are suspended during periods affected by this emergency in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties with respect to school buildings or temporary facilities in which indoor space for physical education is unavailable.

To the extent that students displaced by these wildfires significantly impact local educational agencies in other counties, these sections and all implementation regulations are also suspended for impacted local educational agencies. I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this Order be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this Order.

This Order is not intended to, and does not, create any rights or benefits, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, against the State of California, its agencies, departments, entities, officers, employees, or any other person.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 8th day of January 2025. _________________________ GAVIN NEWSOM Governor of California ATTEST: _____________________________ SHIRLEY WEBER, PH.D Secretary of State