Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills Sunday, Sept. 27, targeting cold-storage hazards in Boyle Heights after a Lineage Logistics warehouse fire sent toxic smoke over the neighborhood.

Senate Bill 716 and Assembly Bill 817 raise fines for dangerous large buildings and require cold-storage operators to fund community contingency plans. Both laws were shaped by the June 17 fire at 1400 S. Los Palos St., which burned for seven days and forced the removal of more than 89 million pounds of spoiled food.

"Boyle Heights showed us the lasting impact a major facility emergency can have on a community," Newsom said in a statement, according to Spectrum News. The laws, he said, strengthen accountability and help communities respond when emergencies happen.

SB 716, authored by state Sen. María Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles, increases fines for health-and-safety violations at nonresidential structures of 20,000 square feet or more. Violations tied to a governor-declared state of emergency or federal disaster declaration can reach $50,000. The enhanced penalties apply first in Los Angeles County and expand statewide July 1, 2028.

Durazo said families in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles were exposed to toxic smoke and lived with the stench of rotting food for months. She said the company responsible had faced fines too small to matter and called the new laws "their victory," referring to residents who organized and demanded stronger protections.

AB 817, authored by Assemblymember Mark González, D-Los Angeles, requires certain large cold-storage facilities to set up contingency funds for community needs. Until July 1, 2028, the requirement covers facilities within the Boyle Heights Community Plan area. It goes statewide after that date.

Mayor Karen Bass said she worked on the legislation alongside González and Durazo. Bass said the bills ensure cold-storage companies take responsibility for their operations and allow cities and counties to impose higher fines when community health is threatened.

The cold-storage industry opposed both measures. The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) had urged Newsom to veto the bills, arguing they would raise costs across California's food and pharmaceutical supply chain. GCCA CEO Sara Stickler said in a statement that "small and mid-sized operators, many of them family-owned businesses, will be hit hardest by this legislation."

The fire's cause remains officially undetermined. The Los Angeles Fire Department found the blaze started on the roof near solar panels, where an "electrical event" occurred, according to LA Mag. Lineage has sued Altus Power Inc., the solar array owner, and contractor Pearce Services, alleging they started the fire. An Altus subsidiary disputed the claims and said it would contest them in court.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District received more than 4,900 odor complaints from surrounding communities and issued 39 notices of violation. Lineage estimated its cleanup cost roughly $100 million.

The Los Angeles City Council has separately voted to withhold reconstruction permits for the warehouse. The statewide expansion of both bills takes effect July 1, 2028.