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AB 1559: Residential property insurance images.
What AB 1559 does, verified June 11, 2026
<p>The bill requires residential property insurers to notify policyholders when aerial images may be taken or obtained for purposes other than evaluating a pending claim. Insurers must provide these images upon request and include instructions on how to make such requests in the notice. The bill also prohibits insurers from terminating coverage based on an aerial image taken more than 180 days before the termination notice, unless specific exceptions apply. In cases where termination is based on an image, the insurer must supply the image, notify the policyholder of the decision, and offer a chance to dispute the accuracy or verify remediation before the termination takes effect.</p>
Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
✓In CommitteeComplete
✓First Chamber FloorComplete
4Second ChamberCurrent
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on P., D.T., & C.P. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 10). Re-referred to Com. on P., D.T., & C.P. (2026-06-10)Alert me
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions13 total · showing 5
| Jun. 10, 2026 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on P., D.T., & C.P. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 10). Re-referred to Com. on P., D.T., & C.P. |
| May. 27, 2026 | Referred to Coms. on INS., P., D.T., & C.P. and APPR. |
| May. 14, 2026 | In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. |
| May. 14, 2026 | Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 5030.) |
| May. 07, 2026 | Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar. |
Latest bill textAmended version, April 13, 2026 · 1,271 words
| Amended IN Assembly April 13, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 1559
| Introduced by Assembly Member Calderon (Coauthor: Assembly Member Rivas) |
January 08, 2026 |
An act to add Section 2035 to the Insurance Code, relating to insurance.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1559, as amended, Calderon. Residential property insurance images.
Existing law generally regulates classes of insurance, including residential property insurance. Existing law requires an insurer to send various notices to a policyholder at specified intervals.
This bill would require an admitted insurer to notify a residential property insurance policyholder that aerial images may be taken or obtained of the insured property, as specified, unless a claim has been submitted or is pending on the property and the images will be used only for evaluating the claim. The bill would require the insurer to provide the aerial images upon request, as specified, and would require the notice to include instructions regarding how a policyholder may make that request.
This bill would prohibit an admitted insurer from basing a decision to terminate insurance coverage, as defined, on an aerial image of the insured property taken more than 180 days prior to sending notice of that decision to the policyholder, except as specified. The bill would require an admitted insurer that bases a decision to terminate insurance coverage on an aerial image to provide the policyholder with that aerial image, notice of that decision, and the opportunity to dispute the accuracy of the image, and to verify remediation, before the effective date of the decision to terminate insurance coverage.
This bill would make the above-described provisions operative on July 1, 2027.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 2035 is added to the Insurance Code, to read:2035.
(a) (1) (A) An admitted insurer shall notify a residential property insurance policyholder if any aerial images may be taken or obtained of the insured property during the policy period by, on behalf of, or in service of the insurer.(B) The notice pursuant to this subdivision shall be provided at least annually, including with the initial policy issuance and upon each renewal, and shall be on a separate page from any other notice, information, or disclosure.
(C) The notice shall include both of the following:
(i) In at least 14-point bold font, the following:
“[INSURER NAME] WILL COLLECT OR OBTAIN AERIAL IMAGES OF THE INSURED PROPERTY FOR USE IN UNDERWRITING DECISIONS.
You have the right to request and receive any aerial images taken or obtained of the insured property.
If an aerial image is used in a decision to cancel, nonrenew, or reduce coverage for an insurance policy, the aerial image will be included with the notice of that decision.
If the aerial image is used in a decision to cancel, nonrenew, or reduce coverage for an insurance policy, you have the right to request an in-person physical inspection of the property to verify the accuracy, timeliness, and validity of the aerial image.
You have the right to dispute the accuracy of an image used in a decision to cancel, nonrenew, or reduce coverage based on an aerial image prior to the effective date of the decision, and to request an in-person physical inspection to verify remediation, or to otherwise provide evidence of remediation in a manner set forth by [Insurer Name].
[Insurer Name] cannot use aerial images older than 180 days in a decision to cancel, nonrenew, or reduce coverage for an insurance policy unless the reason for the decision has been verified as accurate, persistent, and valid by an in-person physical inspection of the insured property or alternative verification process conducted no more than 180 days prior to sending the notice of that decision.”
(ii) Instructions regarding how a policyholder may make a request to receive any aerial images taken or obtained of the insured property, pursuant to subdivision (b).
(D) This subdivision shall not apply if a claim has been submitted or is pending on the property, provided any aerial images taken or obtained of the insured property are used only for the purpose of evaluating the submitted or pending claim.
(2) (A) A notice pursuant to this subdivision shall be mailed via the United States Postal Service to the policyholder’s mailing address of record.
(B) For a policyholder who has agreed to transact business electronically pursuant to the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (Title 2.5 (commencing with Section 1633.1) of Part 2 of Division 3 of the Civil Code), the insurer may provide notice to the email address provided by the policyholder.
(b) An admitted insurer shall provide any aerial images taken or obtained of the insured property to the policyholder upon request within 30 days of receiving that request.
(c) (1) An admitted insurer shall not base a decision to terminate insurance coverage in whole or in part on an aerial image of the insured property taken more than 180 days prior to sending notice of that decision to the policyholder unless the conditions pertaining to the decision to terminate insurance coverage have been verified as accurate, persistent, and valid by an in-person physical inspection of the insured property or alternative verification process conducted no more than 180 days prior to sending the notice of the decision.
(2) This subdivision does not apply to an aerial image that solely contributed to the decision to terminate insurance coverage through its use in the development of a probabilistic or predictive risk model, reviewed by the department and in compliance with all applicable statutory, regulatory, and other legal standards, to project annual aggregate losses due to low-frequency, high-severity events, or to project the likelihood of a location burning in the event of a wildfire.
(d) If an admitted insurer bases a decision to terminate insurance coverage in whole or in part on an aerial image, that aerial image shall be provided to the policyholder concurrent included with the notice of that decision provided to the policyholder pursuant to Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 675) of Part 1 of Division 1.
(e) A policyholder that has been subject to a decision to terminate insurance coverage based in whole or in part on an aerial image may request that the admitted insurer conduct an in-person physical inspection of the property to verify the accuracy, persistence, and validity of the conditions pertaining to the decision to terminate insurance coverage as depicted in the aerial image. The policyholder may, at their sole discretion, use a process made available by the insurer other than an in-person physical inspection to verify the accuracy, persistence, and validity of the conditions pertaining to the decision to terminate coverage.
(f) An admitted insurer that bases a decision to terminate insurance coverage in whole or in part on an aerial image shall provide the policyholder with the opportunity to dispute the accuracy of the image used in the decision to terminate insurance coverage, and to verify remediation, before the effective date of the decision to terminate insurance coverage. The policyholder may verify remediation by in-person physical inspection pursuant to subdivision (e) or by otherwise providing evidence of remediation in a manner set forth by the admitted insurer.
(g) This section shall not be construed to authorize aerial imaging that is otherwise prohibited under law.
(h) For purposes of this section:
(1) “Termination of insurance coverage” has the same meaning as in Section 791.02.
(2) “Aerial image” means an image or video collected by aircraft or satellite, whether or not that aircraft or satellite is operated with the possibility of direct human intervention.
(i) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2027.
Text of AB 1559 as amended, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions