Assembly Insurance Committee advances wildfire‑mitigation, FAIR Plan, aerial‑image and genetic‑data bills; moratorium extension moves forward

The Assembly Committee on Insurance on [date not specified] considered 11 bills and moved several forward to other committees after hours of testimony from state officials, consumer advocates, industry groups and providers.

Assemblywoman Ortega introduced AB 18 88, a measure that would require work funded through the California Safe Homes Grant Program to be performed by a ‘‘skilled and trained’’ workforce and paid prevailing wages. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, who sponsored the underlying grant program, said the bill is intended to ensure mitigation projects are done correctly and consistently. "Without clear workforce standards, we risk funding projects that could be inconsistent, incomplete, or ineffective," Lara said, urging an aye vote. Jeremy Smith of the State Building and Construction Trades Council said prevailing‑wage and apprenticeship standards protect workers and taxpayers and help ensure quality workmanship.

The committee also moved AB 16 80, the "Make It Fair Act," to the Committee on Appropriations after Lara described repeated failures by the California FAIR Plan to implement key recommendations identified in departmental examinations. "The FAIR plan is no longer a niche backstop; it is the insurer of last resort for hundreds of thousands of Californians and it is failing to meet that responsibility," Lara told the…