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…
California protects families from hidden smoke damage after wildfires
California protects families from hidden smoke damage after wildfires

Governor signs landmark legislation establishing enforceable standards for investigating, testing, and restoring smoke-damaged homes SACRAMENTO, Calif. — 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…
Newsom Signs New Law to Clear Confusion Around Smoke Damage
Newsom Signs New Law to Clear Confusion Around Smoke Damage

One of the paradoxes facing people whose homes survive a wildfire is that they are often still victims of it. Sometimes, they have the least help for restoring their home to how it was. How insurance ought to address the damage caused by heat and…
California enacts new laws to aid wildfire victims with smoke damage and mortgage relief
California enacts new laws to aid wildfire victims with smoke damage and mortgage relief

California is enacting new rules to help wildfire victims recover from the devastating effects. A new package of legislation, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in Altadena alongside wildfire survivors, directly responds to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles in early 2025. One of the new…
Coastal damage and a looming El Niño prompt warnings for homeowners to review insurance coverage
Coastal damage and a looming El Niño prompt warnings for homeowners to review insurance coverage

A series of recent coastal hazards, from sinkholes to beach erosion to waves pushing water onto properties, is raising concerns for Southern California homeowners who may not be covered for the damage they’re seeing. Images of a collapsing driveway and eroding shorelines have unsettled many…