(a) The payment of the filing fee described in Section 129785 may be postponed by the department if all of the following conditions are met:
(1) The proposed construction or alteration has been proposed as a result of any event that has been declared to be a disaster by the Governor.
(2) The department determines that the applicant cannot presently afford to pay the filing fee.
(3) The applicant has applied for federal disaster relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with respect to the disaster described in paragraph (1).
(4) The applicant is expected to receive disaster assistance within one year from the date of the application.
(b) If the department does not receive full payment of any fee for which payment has been postponed pursuant to subdivision (a) within one year from the date of plan approval, the statewide department may request an offset from the Controller for the unpaid amount against any amount owed by the state to the applicant, and may request additional offsets against amounts owed by the state to the applicant until the fee is paid in full. This subdivision shall not be construed to establish an offset as described in the preceding sentence as the exclusive remedy for the collection of any unpaid fee amount as described in that same sentence.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 289. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)