In an open letter published on February 6, 2026, Washington Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer urged support for two upcoming Washington State Senate bills – Senate Bill (SB) 5928 and SB 6079 – linked to wildfire risk in the homeowners insurance market.
The open letter attributes the bills’ impetus to the Wildfire Mitigation and Resiliency Standards Work Group, a joint project between the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) and the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which delivered its report to the Washington Legislature in December.
As described in the February 6, 2026 letter, SB 5928 (concerning wildfire risk models and score disclosure) would require insurers to share wildfire risk scores with consumers, including a clear explanation for those scores, where such scores are used to determine eligibility or pricing. As of February 9, SB5928 is in second reading.
SB 6079 (reducing nonrenewals and cancellations due to wildfire risk) would create a pilot grant programme to help homeowners retrofit existing structures to standards of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) Wildfire Prepared Home, prioritizing projects in high-risk areas with limited insurance access and historically underserved populations, and balancing scientific rigor, cost-effectiveness, and equitable access; the pilot would initially be funded by the OIC’s regulatory accounts and is described as working in tandem with the DNR’s Ready Neighbors programme. The letter further states that homeowners who go through the programme could not be canceled or nonrenewed based on their wildfire risk, a constraint that would directly affect insurer nonrenewal and cancellation decisions in Washington for participating properties, as described by the Washington OIC-supported proposal. As of February 9, the bill is scheduled for an executive session in the Senate Committee regarding ways and means.
