AB 1986: Residential property insurance: home hardening.

California · Assembly · 2025–2026 Regular Session · last verified March 3, 2026

What AB 1986 does, verified March 3, 2026

The bill aims to increase wildfire resilience in residential properties by requiring insurance companies to provide separate quotes for "hardened" and non-hardened properties. Currently, insurance companies are not required to differentiate between these two types of properties in their premium quotes. The bill would allow homeowners to opt for a "hardened" property, which has been certified by a state-approved home hardening certification program. Insurance companies would need to provide a separate quote for the "hardened" property, taking into account the additional costs of the hardening measures. This would help homeowners make informed decisions about their property's wildfire risk and allow them to choose the level of protection they want to invest in.

Bill journey

1IntroducedCurrent

2In CommitteePending

3First Chamber FloorPending

4Second ChamberPending

5GovernorPending

6ChapteredPending

Last action: Referred to Com. on INS. (2026-03-02)Alert me

Author and sponsors

Asm. Steve BennettAuthor · California State Assembly

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Coauthors

Patrick AhrensBen AllenDavid AlvarezRebecca Bauer-KahanDamon ConnollyJohn HarabedianGregg HartHenry Stern

Recent actions3 total · showing 3

Mar. 02, 2026	Referred to Com. on INS.
Feb. 14, 2026	From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.
Feb. 13, 2026	Read first time. To print.

Latest bill textIntroduced version, February 13, 2026 · 324 words

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1986

Introduced by Assembly Member Bennett
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Ahrens, Alvarez, Bauer-Kahan, Connolly, Harabedian, and Hart)
(Coauthors: Senators Allen and Stern)

February 13, 2026

An act to add Section 679.91 to the Insurance Code, relating to insurance.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1986, as introduced, Bennett. Residential property insurance: home hardening.

Existing law authorizes the Office of the State Fire Marshal to allow certification of contractors who conduct defensible space, home hardening, fuel reduction, roadside clearance, and other contracting activities for wildfire resiliency efforts and who have completed specified training programs.

Existing law generally regulates classes of insurance, including residential property and fire insurance. Existing law creates the Department of Insurance, headed by the Insurance Commissioner, and prescribes the department’s powers and duties. Existing department regulations prohibit an insurer from using a rating plan that does not take into account and reflect specified wildfire risk mitigation, including property-level building hardening measures.

Upon request for a premium quote for residential property insurance, this bill would require a specified insurer to provide a premium quote for the residential property that includes the price of insurance if the property is certified as “hardened” by a home hardening certification program established or approved by the State Fire Marshal and a premium quote for the residential property in its current state.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 679.91 is added to the Insurance Code, immediately following Section 679.9, to read:

679.91.

Upon request for a premium quote for residential property insurance, an insurer of a policy specified in Section 675 shall provide a premium quote for the residential property that includes the price of insurance if the property is certified as “hardened” by a home hardening certification program established or approved by the State Fire Marshal and a premium quote for the residential property in its current state.

Text of AB 1986 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions