California Passes Law to Improve Home Insurance Retention for Consumers
A new California law, SB 1301, has been signed into effect to provide homeowners greater clarity and time in maintaining their home insurance coverage. The legislation mandates that insurers give policyholders more notice before nonrenewal—90 days instead of the current 75—and up to 120 days if repairs or changes are required for continued coverage. It also requires written disclosure on how consumers can retain their policies and prohibits cancellations based solely on roof age or certain unpaid claims. The law, authored by Senator Ben Allen and supported by consumer advocacy groups like Consumer Watchdog and Every Fire Survivor's Network, aims to address the growing insurance crisis in California where over a million residents have been pushed into high-cost alternatives. Advocates argue that SB 1301 will help families remain insured during disasters while rebalancing power between consumers and insurers. Public support for such protections is strong, with polls showing more than 90% of Californians favoring longer notice periods before nonrenewals.
Topics: consumer protection home insurance legislation wildfire survivors