California lawmakers are advancing a package of wildfire-focused legislation aimed at helping homeowners better protect their properties while stabilizing a strained homeowner’s insurance market. The effort follows years of destructive fires and insurer pullbacks that have left many residents struggling to find or afford coverage.
The legislation recognizes that reducing wildfire risk at both the property and community level is one of the most effective ways to improve insurability. Three key bills that are part of a broader wildfire-focused package are designed to give homeowners more tools, clearer guidance and, ultimately, better access to insurance.
Home-hardening upgrades
SB 894 would create a California wildfire resilience loan program to offer low-interest financing for home-hardening improvements such as ember-resistant vents, fire-resistant roofing and gutter guards and upgraded windows. These upgrades, combined with defensible space, can reduce a home’s wildfire risk by up to 50%, according to lawmakers.
The proposed loan program would work similarly to the state’s existing energy-efficiency financing programs, allowing homeowners to spread costs over time. For many, this could mean the difference between delaying upgrades and completing them.
Community-level mitigation
While SB 894 targets individual properties, SB 1297 would establish regional wildfire public-private partnerships that bring together insurers, utilities, government agencies and nonprofits to coordinate large-scale mitigation projects. These efforts could include vegetation management, infrastructure improvements and reducing flammable vegetation across entire communities.
This coordination is significant for homeowners because insurers increasingly evaluate risk at the community level. Even a well-hardened home may face higher premiums or nonrenewal if the surrounding area remains vulnerable.
By aligning mitigation efforts across multiple stakeholders, the partnerships aim to reduce overall risk in a region, which may help improve insurance availability and pricing.
Home-hardening certification
AB 1935 would tackle another key challenge: the lack of a clear, widely recognized standard for what constitutes a “hardened” home.
The bill directs the State Fire Marshal’s Wildfire Mitigation Advisory Committee to develop an implementation plan for a home-hardening certification program by Jan. 1, 2028.
The program would identify specific measures — such as defensible space and structural upgrades — that homeowners can implement to reduce wildfire risk. It would also create a framework for verifying that those improvements meet recognized standards.
For homeowners, certification could become an important tool when dealing with insurers. A standardized designation may help carriers more confidently underwrite properties and offer better rates or improved access to coverage.
A combined approach
Taken together, the three bills reflect a shift in California’s wildfire strategy toward prevention and resilience. Lawmakers from both parties have supported the measures, signaling broad agreement that addressing wildfire risk is essential not only for safety but also for the state’s insurance market.
The measures are still moving through the Legislature, but with strong bipartisan support, they will likely become law. We’ll keep you posted.