Council Vice-Chair Sugimura urges President Trump to sign tax relief bill for Maui wildfire survivors

Council Vice-Chair Yuki Lei K. Sugimura today thanked Hawaii’s congressional delegation for its efforts to secure federal tax relief for qualified disaster survivors, such as those impacted by the August 2023 wildfires in Lahaina and Upcountry Maui, and is urging President Donald Trump to sign the legislation into law.

In a letter Tuesday, Sugimura respectfully requested the president’s signature on H.R. 5366, the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act, emphasizing the importance of continued federal tax relief for Maui wildfire survivors. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow deductions for wildfire losses and to exclude from taxation compensation to wildfire survivors for legal damages through 2026.

“We are grateful for continued federal efforts to reduce the financial burden on disaster survivors and to provide families with what they need to rebuild and recover,” said Sugimura, who holds the council seat for the Upcountry Maui residency area. “H.R. 5366 represents a potential step in giving much-needed certainty for survivors during their long-term recovery and is in line with real property tax relief that the council has provided.”

After being introduced in the House of Representatives last September, H.R. 5366 was reported by the Committee on Ways and Means in April and passed on voice vote in the House later that month. The Senate passed the bill on Aug. 7 before recessing, with the president’s pending signature the final requirement for enactment.