Connolly Passes Wildfire Insurance Bill through Policy Committee

Assemblymember Connolly passes legislation strengthening the California Department of Insurance's Safer from Wildfires program through the Assembly Insurance Committee

For immediate release:

Thursday, April 18, 2024

SACRAMENTO, CA - Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) took on the insurance industry this week and passed Assembly Bill (AB) 2416out of the Assembly Insurance Committee. AB 2416 strengthens the Safer from Wildfires program to expand community-wide wildfire prevention measures to contain the threat of wildfires, reduce damage, and save lives.

"Mitigating wildfire risk in California is a huge priority for me, and I am proud to be working on legislation that will better protect our homes and communities," said Assemblymember Damon Connolly. "Incentivizing home and business owners to invest in home hardening measures will help our communities reach higher levels of fire safety, which will reduce catastrophic losses of life and property."

The California Department of Insurance "Safer from Wildfires" regulations seek to incentivize wildfire mitigation efforts by rewarding homeowners with insurance discounts if they demonstrate certain wildfire prevention and hardening measures. State support for home hardening incentive programs is especially critical now; California residents are finding homeowners' insurance in high-risk fire areas to be increasingly difficult and costly to obtain, if coverage is even available.

AB 2416 will provide homeowners and communities with cost-effective wildfire prevention efforts and incentivize both property-wide and community-wide wildfire mitigation efforts. This bill also incentivizes insurers to provide coverage for homes and businesses in California by requiring the California Department of Insurance to periodically review and update the Safer from Wildfire regulations. Effective home and community hardening measures help contain the spread of wildfires, reduce property damage, save lives, and by extension, reduce claims liability for insurers.

AB 2416 passed out of the Assembly Insurance Committee this week and will next be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

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Assemblymember Connolly represents the entirety of Marin County and Southern Sonoma County