Sasha Renée Pérez Introduces Bill Mandating Insurance for Fire-Safe Homes

California State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez introduced Senate Bill 1076, the Insurance Coverage for Fire-Safe Homes Act, on February 19, 2026. The bill would require insurance companies to offer or renew policies for homeowners who implement wildfire-hardening measures, such as installing sprinklers, closing roof eaves, and establishing a five-foot combustible-free zone. These safety standards would be set by State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, and the mandates would take effect January 1, 2028.

To enforce compliance, the legislation empowers the insurance commissioner to ban noncompliant insurers from California's home and auto insurance markets for five years. Insurers may apply for temporary waivers if they demonstrate an over-concentration of risk in specific geographic areas. The bill is co-sponsored by Consumer Watchdog and the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, following reports that survivors of the January 2025 Eaton fire faced insurance denials despite rebuilding their homes to high safety specifications.

Proponents argue that current underwriting ignores safety investments, while trade groups, including the Personal Insurance Federation of California and the American Property and Casualty Insurance Assn., warn that the mandate could destabilize the state's strained insurance market and force carriers to exit the state. The proposal follows a significant increase in policies written by the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan, which rose nearly 220% since September 2022.