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California insurance officials outline reforms to help wildfire survivors, increase insurer accountability
Summary
A California Department of Insurance outreach analyst told the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors on April 7 that state and federal legislation and regulatory steps are aimed at expanding coverage options, speeding claims payments for wildfire survivors and rewarding home hardening; the department urged residents to use new complaint channels and watch for grants covering home hardening.
The Mariposa County Board of Supervisors heard an update on wildfire-related insurance reforms from Richie Siavong, outreach analyst for the California Department of Insurance, who described a set of state and federal proposals and regulatory actions intended to expand coverage and strengthen consumer protections for residents in high-fire-risk areas.
“Safer from Wildfire” regulations and a broader “sustainable insurance strategy” are intended to encourage insurers to use parcel-level mitigation data and offer discounts for home hardening such as class-A roofs and a 5‑foot noncombustible zone around houses, Siavong said. He told the board the department has approved certain insurers to write in parts of the state and expects more companies to re-enter difficult markets as the rules and models are adopted.
Siavong cited several legislative efforts being tracked by the department, including the strengthening California homes grant program (noted in remarks as “AB 888”), SB 876 (described as disaster-recovery reforms to speed claims) and the Make It Fair Act (recorded as “AB 1680”), which would overhaul aspects of the FAIR Plan. He said the department has pending administrative action against the FAIR Plan for delays in paying smoke-damage claims and that it has recovered millions for claimants in recent investigations.
“Our strategy is rooted in making communities safer and giving you the information and the resources to do that,” Siavong told the board. He said the department has secured some initial funding for grants that will prioritize low-income homeowners in high-risk areas and encouraged residents to sign up for department consumer alerts and to file complaints when insurers fail to provide required information or to answer within statutory timelines.
Supervisors pressed for local detail. Supervisor Smolkin pressed Siavong to clarify whether insurers already must consider property-level mitigation; Siavong replied that the new regulation requires insurers to adopt forward-looking models and to offer coverage based on parcel-specific mitigation, and that the department will oversee insurers’ compliance with an initial 85% writing commitment in wildfire-distress areas.
Siavong also urged residents to use the Department of Insurance complaint process when they encounter claim delays, missing risk scores or unexplained cancellations, explaining a complaint typically prompts a 21‑day insurer response and follow-up by a compliance officer.
The department encouraged residents to monitor the department website for rollout details on grant programs and said applications could open in early summer. The county agreed to distribute the department’s materials to residents, and supervisors said they will continue outreach about mitigation and grant opportunities ahead of wildfire season.
