Overview
- The Senate Insurance Committee rejected SB 1076, which sought to require insurers to cover homes that meet wildfire safety standards.
- Three related bills passed the committee and move to Senate Appropriations: SB 877 would require disclosure of all loss estimates, SB 878 would require timely written responses to claims, and SB 1301 would give policyholders more notice before nonrenewals.
- SB 1076 had been pared back to community pilot projects that test risk reduction, with a promise of four years of coverage for homeowners in successful areas.
- Insurance trade groups opposed the mandate, arguing it would override underwriting judgment and threaten solvency by forcing companies to accept risk by statute.
- Wildfire survivors and consumer advocates rallied for broader protections, citing delayed and underpaid claims and a growing shift onto the FAIR Plan, the state’s last-resort fire insurance option.