Work Group Recommends IBHS Standards, Grants, and Data Sharing to Reduce Wildfire Insurance Losses

Department of Natural Resources and Office of the Insurance Commissioner staff presented the Wildfire Mitigation and Resiliency Standard Work Group report to the committee on Jan. 23. The report, delivered Dec. 1, 2025, was the product of a multi‑stakeholder group convened under substitute House Bill 1539.

Robin Whitney (DNR) and Lauren Burns (OIC) said the work group reached broad agreement that community‑level mitigation, better data sharing, and homeowner grant programs are essential. The group recommended reconstituting work under the State Fire Marshal's Office with DNR and OIC support to complete a mitigation standard determination, but it identified the IBHS wildfire‑prepared home standard as a suitable framework for grants and retrofits.

Recommendations include: expanding DNR's community resilience investments (including restoring funding to elements of HB 1168 from 2021), creating a voluntary grant program to retrofit existing homes to IBHS standards (prioritizing high‑risk areas and underserved populations), developing cross‑agency data sharing through the natural hazards data portal/WATEC, and improving transparency when insurers use wildfire risk scores that affect nonrenewal or pricing. The presenters noted information gaps in risk models (for example, local fire response capacity and actual mitigation investments) and urged a policy framework to collect and publish nonrenewal/cancellation information tied to wildfire causes.

Committee members asked about roles for agencies, privacy and sale restrictions on shared data, coordination with existing programs, and how grant programs would avoid duplication. Staff said the report emphasizes coordination with local partners and existing programs and that privacy and data‑use frameworks would be developed before releasing detailed information.