Republican Ohio Representative Bill Johnson introduced Wednesday a bill to provide tax relief for residents who were affected by a train accident that emitted toxic chemicals into an eastern Ohio community.

According to the East Palestine Tax Relief Act, residents and businesses would be exempted from taxes on relief payments received following a derailment of a Norfolk Southern train on February 3. Vinyl chloride and other toxic chemicals were carried on the train. They were released into the atmosphere through controlled burns that were made to prevent an explosion.

According to the bill, the bill defines the derailment under section 139 of The Internal Revenue Code of 1986. This states that “qualified disaster relief and qualified mitigation payments shall not constitute net earnings from self employment, wages or compensation subject to taxes.” Compensation can include payment made by the federal, state or local governments, Norfolk Southern, or “any subsidiary. insurer. or agent of Norfolk Southern Railway.”

“East Palestine residents and businesses are determined to get back to normal after the train derailment,” Johnson stated. Johnson stated in a press release that their lives were disrupted by no fault of the victims. “The East Palestine Tax Relief Act will ensure that those who are forced into this difficult situation will not be taxed on any relief they have received. I encourage my colleagues to vote for this legislation in the coming weeks.

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According to the bill, the bipartisan bill would impact any payments received after Feb. 3, derailment. It was cosponsored by Republican Ohio Reps. Brad Wenstrup and Jim Jordan, Max Miller, Max Miller, Warren Davidson and Mike Turner.

“The people of East Palestine are already through enough,” Miller said to the Daily Caller News Foundation. They shouldn’t be forced to bear the tax burden of disaster aid, Miller said to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “The Ohio delegation is working together in order to deliver relief for our state.”

Balderson stated to the DCNF that taxing relief payments “adds insult to injury for the most severely affected by the train derailment on East Palestine.” “I am proud to support this legislation, led Congressman Bill Johnson. It will help to ease the burden for these families.”

Carey stated to the DCNF that East Palestine is facing a tragedy many Americans cannot comprehend.

He stated that the East Palestine Tax Relief Act would ensure that East Palestine residents and businesses will not be subject to undue taxes in relation to disaster relief payments. “I commend Rep. Johnson’s introduction of this bill, and his prioritization of the safety and health of his constituents.”