Bill for wildfire-destroyed homes tax relief awaits approval from President Trump
By Terry Murry on Monday, August 10th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate has passed legislation Friday that would deliver immediate tax relief to Americans who lose their homes due to a federally-declared natural disaster. That came after a bipartisan agreement to drop a procedural roadblock to the vote.
The measure had already passed the House of Representatives. It know awaits the signature of President Donald Trump.
The bill ends charging taxes on natural disaster settlement payments after people lose their homes through unpredictable natural disasters. Those taxes were passed into law in 2017 as part of a tax bill. The Senate had suspended the tax in 2024, but it was due to go into effect this year.
At least five homes were destroyed on Umatilla County’s Upper Dry Creek Fire alone this season. Early estimates are that at least 20 homes have been destroyed by wildfires in Oregon this summer, and that number is expected to climb.
File photo of the Lower Dry Creek Fire from East Umatilla Fire & Rescue
