In March, Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil (R-Jackson) and Senate Republicans introduced a comprehensive Wildfire Risk Reduction and Insurance Affordability Package to give families in high-fire-risk communities real tools to harden their homes, reduce wildfire danger, and lower insurance costs. The package included key bills authored by Senator Alvarado-Gil:
SB 1162 – directing Cal FIRE to prioritize fuel reduction and vegetation management in the exact Wildland-Urban Interface zones with the biggest spikes in FAIR Plan policies.
SB 1084 (Fire Safe Home Tax Credits Act) – tax credits for fire-resistant roofing, ember-resistant vents, defensible space, and other proven home-hardening measures.
SB 1118 – tax credits for backup power systems to keep families safe during outages.
“Back in March, I introduced my bold Wildfire Risk Reduction and Insurance Affordability Package to give families in Senate District 4, and across rural California, real tools to harden their homes, reduce wildfire risk, and bring down insurance costs,” said Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil.
“We proposed tax credits for fire-safe upgrades, targeted mitigation in the hardest-hit FAIR Plan communities, and practical reforms that would have helped private insurers return to the market.”
Senate Democrats refused to support these common-sense solutions.
“Now, just months later, the Insurance Commissioner has approved a 29% rate hike on the FAIR Plan, the very last-resort insurance that thousands of our neighbors have been forced into. We were doing everything we could to help families protect their homes and save money on insurance. The other side of the aisle chose not to act. And now rural homeowners are paying the price.”
The 29.1% average increase, approved May 20 and effective October 15, 2026, will hit nearly 700,000 California homeowners, many in Senate District 4’s foothills, ranchlands, and Yosemite-gateway communities already struggling with skyrocketing insurance premiums and limited coverage options
Senator Alvarado-Gil and Senate Republicans continue to fight for meaningful wildfire prevention and insurance relief that reaches the families who need it most.