Assemblymember Connolly Reintroduces Wildfire Insurance Bill on First Day of New Legislative Session

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) reintroduced his wildfire insurance bill with the co-authorship of the Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas, and the Assembly Insurance Committee Chair, Assemblymember Lisa Calderon.

This bill requires the California Department of Insurance (CDI) to review the Safer from Wildfires regulations every five years, and consider if additional building hardening measures and community level wildfire mitigation programs should be included in the program.

“With the current state of our insurance market, it is critical that we are supporting homeowners across California that are taking responsible steps to harden their homes,” said Assemblymember Connolly. “This legislation will help consumers save money on their insurance bills while simultaneously strengthening our communities against the risk of wildfire.”

The current state of the insurance market is leaving thousands of families without coverage and causing rates to rise even in areas that are low risk for wildfires and natural disasters, and the Safer from Wildfires program is the only avenue open to consumers to receive direct insurance discounts for hardening their homes and neighborhoods. Currently, there is no requirement for the CDI to open up the regulations for evaluation. This legislation, a reintroduction of AB 2416 from the previous session, is the first bill that Assemblymember Connolly has introduced in his second session as the North Bay’s Assemblymember. This past legislative session, the bill passed with bipartisan support but unfortunately did not receive a vote in the Senate.

As new and safer building materials come to market and wildfire prevention methods evolve, it is important that we periodically revisit the regulations to ensure that as much relief as possible is being offered to community members who are hardening their homes against wildfire.