State insurance reforms, wildfire mitigation bills outlined to Jurupa Valley council

Judith Pina, an outreach analyst with the California Department of Insurance, told the council on March 19 that the state insurance market remains strained by more frequent wildfires, rising reinsurance costs and higher construction costs. She highlighted several state efforts and pending bills aimed at stabilizing the market and helping consumers.

Pina described the Safer from Wildfires initiative (adopted in 2022) that requires insurers to provide premium discounts to homeowners who take mitigation steps, and the ‘‘sustainable insurance strategy’’ that lets insurers use forward‑looking catastrophe models in exchange for committing to write a share of new policies in higher‑risk areas. She told the council that carriers that agreed to the strategy committed to writing roughly 85% of new policies in those high‑risk areas over a set period.

Pina also summarized specific legislative proposals: AB 888 (California Safe Home Grant Program) to fund mitigation work for low‑income homeowners; AB 1795 to set science‑based smoke‑damage testing and restoration standards; SB 875 and SB 876 to strengthen disaster‑recovery and coverage rules; and AB 1680 (the "Make It Fair" act) to improve FAIR Plan accountability and operations. Pina urged residents to use available grant resources and to contact the Department for consumer protection guidance.

Pina said the department will follow up with fact sheets and that residents can scan a QR code (provided at the meeting) or call the Department’s hotline for assistance.