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OIC preview: homeowner retrofit grants, IBHS standard, and wildfire risk-score disclosure
Summary
OIC previewed wildfire resiliency recommendations including a Strengthen Washington Homes pilot grant based on IBHS standards, better data sharing and parcel-level risk tracking, and a proposed requirement that insurers disclose wildfire risk scores and factors to consumers when the scores inform underwriting or renewal decisions.
At a legislative preview, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner outlined final recommendations from a wildfire resiliency and mitigation work group and proposed related legislation to support homeowners and communities.
Lauren Burns summarized five areas the work group studied and said the group reached the strongest consensus on community-level mitigation and on direct homeowner support through a grant program. OIC is proposing a "Strengthen Washington Homes" pilot inspired by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) Wildfire Prepared Home Standard to fund proven retrofits such as ember-resistant vents, ignition-resistant materials and defensible-space measures.
Burns also described recommendations to improve data coordination among state agencies, parcel-level risk assessments and a repository for documenting mitigation work. The work group recommended continued development and alignment of mitigation standards under the State Fire Marshal with support from OIC and the Department of Natural Resources.
On transparency, Burns said OIC would propose requiring insurers who use wildfire-risk scores in underwriting or ratemaking to disclose to consumers the score, who created it, when it was created, the factors on their property that adversely affected the score, and plain‑language steps to improve the score. David Fort clarified in Q&A that disclosure would apply when companies use scores to inform denials, renewals, nonrenewals or cancellations and that the notification would not discuss premium impact but would explain the score and improvement steps.
Commissioner Kuderer said grant amounts had not been set and the OIC favors a pilot focused on pockets of nonrenewals rather than a broad one-size-fits-all rollout; she cited other states' experience (Alabama) as informative. The OIC described an outreach initiative, Community Connect, and a plan to develop pre- and post-disaster toolkits for communities and consumers.
Next steps: OIC will publish the work-group report to the Legislature, release draft statutory language and continue stakeholder engagement.
