Insurance Commissioner and Local Officials Back Wildfire Retrofit Grants; Insurers Raise Underwriting, Funding Concerns
SB 6,079 would create a Strengthen Washington Homes pilot grant program using IBHS wildfire‑prepared standards and prohibit insurers from cancelling coverage for homes meeting those standards. Insurance Commissioner Patty Kreuter and local officials supported immediate action; insurer groups raised concerns about underwriting prohibitions and using the commissioner's regulatory account for funding.
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Senate Bill 6,079 (briefed Jan. 22) would establish the Strengthen Washington Homes program to provide grants for retrofitting residential properties to wildfire‑prepared standards published by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). The bill conditions grants on required permits, inspections and an IBHS designation, authorizes pilot projects, creates a program account in the State Treasury, and directs the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) to implement the program by rule. The bill also seeks to prohibit insurers from using wildfire risk as a disqualifying factor for coverage when the property has a current IBHS designation.
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