The bill establishes a work group tasked with studying and recommending wildfire mitigation and resiliency standards in Washington State. The work group will be co-chaired by the insurance commissioner and the commissioner of public lands, and will include representatives from the property and casualty insurance industry, local emergency management, and various state agencies. The group is responsible for developing recommendations on aligning state wildfire property mitigation standards with nationally recognized standards, enhancing community-level wildfire mitigation, improving data sharing between state agencies and the insurance industry, increasing consumer transparency regarding wildfire risks, and establishing a grant program to assist homeowners in retrofitting properties to resist wildfire damage.

The work group is required to submit a report of its recommendations to the legislature and relevant agencies by December 1, 2024, and will expire on December 31, 2024. The bill emphasizes the importance of collaboration among various stakeholders to address wildfire risks effectively and aims to reduce the number of insurance nonrenewals related to wildfire hazards.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 48.14.020