California sets global standard for insurance resilience as Commissioner Lara finalizes landmark long-term solvency regulation
California sets global standard for insurance resilience as Commissioner Lara finalizes landmark long-term solvency regulation

First-in-the-nation regulation requires California-based insurance companies to prepare for climate risks, artificial intelligence, cyber threats, and other emerging challenges before they threaten consumers and markets SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today finalized the Long-Term Solvency Planning Regulation, establishing a first-in-the-nation framework requiring California-based…
California expands protections for wildfire survivors
California expands protections for wildfire survivors

California is expanding protections for wildfire survivors through new legislation addressing smoke damage, insurance claims, and financial challenges following the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. On Sept. 15, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed four bills establishing new smoke damage testing standards and expanding mortgage relief for…
California insurance commissioner race pits market fixes against a public disaster insurer
California insurance commissioner race pits market fixes against a public disaster insurer

Californians will elect a new insurance commissioner on Nov. 3, choosing between two Democrats with sharply different plans for a homeowners market hit by wildfire losses and carrier pullbacks. Allen would keep private insurers at the center, with faster rate reviews, tougher claims oversight and…
California orders lenders to report on handling of insurance payouts to LA fire survivors
California orders lenders to report on handling of insurance payouts to LA fire survivors

California officials on Thursday ordered mortgage lenders, including banks and credit unions, to report how they have handled insurance payouts to survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles-area fires. The California Business and Consumer Services Agency and the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation want to…
California enacts sweeping insurance reforms to speed disaster recovery
California enacts sweeping insurance reforms to speed disaster recovery

SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed landmark legislation into law on Sunday aimed at overhauling how insurance companies handle claims following natural disasters, establishing new consumer protections that double fines on dilatory insurers and mandate faster payouts for survivors. The bill, Senate Bill 876,…
FAIR Plan rate increases coming in October prompt private insurers to resurface
FAIR Plan rate increases coming in October prompt private insurers to resurface

What can be done to lower rates? It’s important to note that rate increases shown are an average, and home hardening and other mitigation efforts can help lower costs, according to Laucher. One neighbor may see a 10% rate increase while another neighbor just down…
Governor signs Commissioner Lara and Senator Padilla’s Disaster Recovery Reform Act into law, setting a new standard for survivor protections
Governor signs Commissioner Lara and Senator Padilla’s Disaster Recovery Reform Act into law, setting a new standard for survivor protections

For Release: September 28, 2026 Media Calls Only: 916-492-3566 Email Inquiries: cdipress@insurance.ca.gov Governor signs Commissioner Lara and Senator Padilla’s Disaster Recovery Reform Act into law, setting a new standard for survivor protections New law doubles penalties, reduces red tape, and creates stronger coverage for Californians…
New California law will change how you sign up for home insurance
New California law will change how you sign up for home insurance

Gov. Gavin Newsom just signed a law that gives people an important new option when they sign up for home insurance. Read more.
Insurers’ own rebuild estimates are driving most underinsurance, study finds
Insurers’ own rebuild estimates are driving most underinsurance, study finds

For years, the standard explanation for underinsured homeowners has been that they chose it, trimming limits to save on premium. A new analysis of California claims data argues that explanation mostly doesn’t hold. It says the bigger problem sits with the replacement-cost estimates insurers hand…
Your home insurance may not cover El Niño flood damage. Here’s what to know.
Your home insurance may not cover El Niño flood damage. Here’s what to know.

While intense storms aren’t guaranteed during El Niño, experts say it’s better to be safe than sorry. Diana Zoga reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026.
A ‘super’ El Nino is about to crash into California: 9 essentail ways to prepare
A ‘super’ El Nino is about to crash into California: 9 essentail ways to prepare

Amid warnings of a wet and potentially destructive winter, The Times asked experts for their best tips to be prepared. Read more.
California announces state of emergency: Record El Niño puts a fresh squeeze on a fragile home insurance market
California announces state of emergency: Record El Niño puts a fresh squeeze on a fragile home insurance market

Governor Gavin Newsom put the entire state under a formal state of emergency on Monday. Federal forecasters now think the El Niño building in the Pacific could be the strongest on record, and for a property insurance market that’s already stretched thin, that’s a bad…
Election 2026: California insurance commissioner’s race — Fix the private market or provide public coverage?
Election 2026: California insurance commissioner’s race — Fix the private market or provide public coverage?

The two Democrats running for California insurance commissioner offer voters a stark choice for tackling a wildfire-driven home insurance crisis as premiums surge and insurers drop thousands from their plans: Can the state fix the private market, or should it step in with its own…
California home insurance is about to see a major overhaul
California home insurance is about to see a major overhaul

A defining question on home insurance emerged in the aftermath of the Los Angeles County wildfires — one California is now poised to answer. Read more.
California Enacts Standards for Wildfire Smoke Damage Insurance Claims
California Enacts Standards for Wildfire Smoke Damage Insurance Claims

California has enacted new requirements for investigating, testing, and restoring homes affected by wildfire smoke. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1795, the Smoke Damage Recovery Act, authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson and sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. According to the California Department of Insurance,…
Is Your Home Insurance Enough to Weather a Disaster? How to Check
Is Your Home Insurance Enough to Weather a Disaster? How to Check

You might assume you’re covered for repairs after a disaster because you have homeowners insurance. Unfortunately, you could be wrong. As extreme weather becomes more frequent and destructive, homeowners across the country are discovering gaps in their insurance policies — after the damage has already…
Landmark legislation addresses smoke damage
Landmark legislation addresses smoke damage

For years, California families have returned home after a wildfire only to discover that the danger did not end when the flames were extinguished. Smoke contamination can linger long after a fire is out, leaving homeowners fighting to prove their homes are unsafe and that…
What Better Wildfire Risk Information Can Unlock for Californians
What Better Wildfire Risk Information Can Unlock for Californians

The Community Wildfire Resilience Workgroup, convened in partnership with Resources Legacy Fund, brings together leaders across wildfire science, land use, insurance, finance, and community implementation to advance a coordinated, long-term approach to reducing California’s growing wildfire risk to homes, infrastructure, and other parts of the…