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Assemblymember Calderon presents bill to require notice, image access when insurers use aerial imagery
Summary
AB 1559 would require insurers to notify homeowners before collecting aerial images used in underwriting, give policyholders copies of images used in adverse coverage decisions, and allow request for in‑person inspections; the measure was presented and will be held pending quorum and amendment work.
Assemblymember Calderon introduced AB 1559 to the Senate Committee on Insurance, saying the measure would add consumer protections when insurers use aerial images from drones, aircraft or satellites to make underwriting and nonrenewal decisions.
The bill would require insurers to notify residential policyholders before collecting aerial images of their homes, provide policyholders with copies of any aerial images used wholly or in part to cancel, nonrenew or reduce coverage, and give policyholders the right to request an in‑person inspection to verify imagery accuracy or remediation. Mike Peterson, senior deputy commissioner for climate and sustainability at the California Department of Insurance, told the committee the department continues to receive consumer complaints about insurers’ growing use of aerial imagery and said some insurers have relied on images more than 18 months old to assess property condition.
Joel Lautcher of United Policyholders, a consumer nonprofit, described multiple ways aerial images can misrepresent a property—wrong roof, misleading shadows, ice or angles that suggest damage—and urged the committee to require that images used to support cancellations or nonrenewals be no more than 180 days old and to allow policyholders prompt access to the images so they can rebut any errors. "The images themselves really give the consumer the opportunity to directly rebut the issue that caused the adverse action," Lautcher said.
Support was also registered on the record by the League of California Cities, San Bernardino County, the California State Association of Counties, AARP (California members) and the California Association of Realtors. No lead witnesses in opposition approached the microphone in committee.
Because the committee began without a quorum, Chair Padilla stated the item would be held and returned to the committee calendar; staff and the author indicated they expect to continue negotiating amendments before the bill returns for a committee vote.
