The California Senate has passed SB 1301, authored by Sen. Ben Allen (D-Pacific Palisades), which would give property owners more time and information to maintain private insurance coverage before being dropped by their insurer.
The FAIR Plan, the state's insurer of last resort, has seen its total exposure grow 230% since 2022 as residents lose private coverage — costs ultimately borne by all California policyholders through rising premiums.
SB 1301 would require insurers to provide written notice of nonrenewal three months before dropping a policyholder. The notice must explain why coverage is being terminated and outline steps the policyholder can take — such as property repairs or remediations — to retain it.
Reports of Californians losing coverage over incorrectly identified problems, such as mold wrongly flagged by drone footage, have grown in recent years. Requiring insurers to explain their reasoning would help policyholders identify errors and work to correct them.
"Californians need to know why they're at risk of losing coverage; otherwise, we won't know what tangible steps we can take to reduce our property's risk," Allen said. "This transparent communication is long overdue."
SB 1301 will be heard in the Assembly Insurance Committee in the coming weeks.
Edited by SMDP Staff