Wildfire Risk Scoring Transparency Bill Passes Washington Senate

Legislation to make wildfire risk scores more transparent passed out of the Washington state Senate on nearly unanimously.

Senate Bill 5928, which passed 48-1, is being pushed by Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Judy Warnick (R – Moses Lake).

Related: Assignment of Benefits Bill Passes Washington Senate

Insurers use third-party wildfire risk scores to evaluate a property’s exposure and to determine eligibility for coverage, pricing and renewals. Companies establishing these scores use satellite images, property data, insurance loss data and fire science to create risk assessments to sell to insurance companies. These scores, however, may fail to account for community or property-level mitigation efforts, according to Kuderer.

Related: Washington Bill Granting Restitution to Insurance Consumers Passes State Senate

SB 5928 requires insurers to disclose wildfire risk scores when used, explain the factors behind the score and provide plain-language steps consumers can take to improve their score. Property owners who have done mitigation work since their last evaluation, or see inaccuracies with their current evaluation, will be able to appeal those decisions.

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Politics Washington