California lawmakers are reviewing Assembly Bill 1795, a proposal to establish the first statewide standards in the US for smoke damage insurance claims.
The measure carries a public health mandate alongside insurance requirements, reflecting how wildfire losses now spill beyond property coverage into environmental exposure.
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara backs the bill. The California Department of Insurance said AB 1795 would set formal protocols for inspecting, testing, and restoring smoke-damaged homes.
It would also define uniform claims practices, outline thresholds for safe reentry, and assign state and local agencies to enforce compliance.
The legislation permits wildfire survivors to rely on locally adopted health benchmarks for smoke testing and remediation while regulators complete statewide standards.
Lara argues insurers have advised residents to return to homes coated with toxic residue, even as contamination questions remain unresolved. He calls the interim provision urgent, not optional.
Policyholders cannot wait through a protracted rulemaking cycle, Lara said. Clear standards must arrive now. He framed the bill as immediate relief for Los Angeles residents and a longer-term, science-based structure for the broader market.
After more than 30 years without enforceable smoke damage benchmarks, he said, state authorities need to step in and define them.
They need clear standards and real protection now. We are delivering immediate relief for Los Angeles survivors while building the long-term, science-based framework Californians deserve. After more than 30 years without enforceable standards, it falls to us to lead.
The proposal advances as a state task force formed in May 2025 continues to draft recommendations on smoke-damage claims.
According to Beinsure analysts, regulators will draw on the task force’s findings alongside medical and environmental research to shape final rules.
The outcome could reset how carriers assess smoke exposure, reserve claims, and determine habitability across wildfire-prone regions.
