California Insurance Regulations Update

May 19th, 2025  — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has announced the formation of a new Smoke Claims & Remediation Task Force to create long-overdue statewide standards for handling smoke damage from wildfires. For decades, California has lacked consistent rules for investigating and paying smoke-related claims, leading to delays, denials and unsafe living conditions for residents.
The Task Force will bring together health experts, fire specialists and consumer advocates to recommend science-based standards for testing, cleaning and restoring smoke-damaged homes. It will also help determine enforcement tools and agency roles to protect residents from fraudulent or inadequate claims processes.