State bill would mandate insurance for homeowners who reduce wildfire risks
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A bill requiring insurers to offer coverage to California homeowners who make their property resistant to wildfires was introduced Wednesday in the Legislature.SB 1076, by state Sen.Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Alhambra), would require insurers to offer and renew coverage for any home that meets wildfire-safety standards adopted by the insurance commissioner starting Jan.
1, 2028.The Insurance Coverage for Fire-Safe Homes Act would allow the commissioner to impose a five-year ban on insurers from operating in the state’s auto and home markets if they don’t comply.An insurer would also be banned from the markets for five years if it decides to cease offering property insurance under the law.
Business A bill by state Sen.Scott Wiener would require oil and gas companies to pay for climate-related fires that cause insurance losses.
It is opposed by the petroleum industry.However, the bill allows insurers to seek a temporary waiver from the mandate if they can show they have an over-concentration of risk in a geographic area.Pérez said that in her talks with survivors of the Eaton fire that struck Altadena and surrounding communities in January 2025, she found they were fearful that even if their homes are rebuilt to the highest fire safety standards, they wouldn’t be offered insurance.“To help fire survivors return home, we need assurance that newly built, wildfire-resilient homes will receive insurance coverage,” she said in a statement.“Being denied coverage after meeting safety standards sends the wrong message and is akin to being penalized for doing the right thing.”The bill is co-sponsored by the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, which represents thousands of residents in the fire zone, and Consumer Watchdog, a Los Angeles consumer advocacy group that has long advocated for such a law.A 2023 bill the group supported would have similarly required insurers to provide cove...