Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath is seeking a review of possible legal action over roughly $800 million in pending federal wildfire recovery funding requests.

Horvath introduced a motion on Tuesday, Nov. 10, directing County Counsel and the Chief Executive Officer to examine potential legal action over unpaid federal disaster funding, according to a release from her office.

The county has requested more than $455 million in FEMA reimbursements for roughly 190 disaster response and recovery projects tied to the Palisades and Eaton Fires. Less than $1.4 million has been released, the motion states. Most projects have cleared FEMA's initial technical and oversight reviews but remain pending final approval.

A separate $347 million request for federal hazard mitigation funding has received nothing. Those projects include fire-hardening homes and public facilities, undergrounding power lines and strengthening water systems.

"Our fire survivors have already been through hell," Horvath said in the release. "They should not have to spend another day waiting on a federal government that overpromised and underdelivered."

The release noted the fires struck 672 days before the motion's introduction. Horvath said the county "is exploring every legal option to hold this federal government accountable."

Other funding streams are also stalled. FEMA initially approved $13 million for disaster case management to help fire survivors navigate recovery services but has disbursed only about $3 million. Federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding for long-term rebuilding remains unavailable.

California has advanced $217 million to the county, but federal rules can jeopardize FEMA reimbursement if projects begin construction before receiving federal approval. That creates a bind for officials trying to speed up rebuilding.

The motion directs County Counsel and the CEO to report to the Board of Supervisors in closed session on Tuesday, Nov. 17, on the status of pending federal funding and potential legal options to secure it.

Horvath’s motion calls for county attorneys and the chief executive officer to report back in closed session Nov. 17.