Bills: HB461, HB467, HB522, HB565, HB673, HB799, HB917, HB937, HB956, HB977

Keywords: building codes, construction standards, state uniform construction code, local option, municipal ordinance, parish ordinance, resilient construction, FORTIFIED Home, IBHS, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, hurricane resistance, storm resilience, roof replacement, residential construction, certificate of occupancy, code enforcement, building resilience, home hardening, wind mitigation, residential roof

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2020, he joined IBHS from the U.S.
• IBHS is a 501(c)(3) organization enabled by the investment of the property insurance industry.
• Those state programs leverage not only IBHS science, Such programs.
• So that's why we at IBHS put so much emphasis on the roof.
• IBHS has data on roof types as well that is empirical and sound.

Summary: The Banking and Insurance Committee heard a series of presentations focused on mitigation, flood and wind resilience, and insurance discounts. Kevin Guthrie of the Florida Division of Emergency Management outlined several funding streams for mitigation, including federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program dollars, BRIC grants, flood mitigation assistance, and the state hurricane loss mitigation program. He emphasized the new Elevate Florida initiative, which will use about $400 million initially to elevate or reconstruct flood-prone homes, starting with National Flood Insurance Program properties and severe repetitive-loss homes, with no current per-home cap. Guthrie said the state will contract directly with licensed vendors and aims to reduce future flood losses, lower insurance costs, and keep properties on the tax rolls rather than relying on buyouts. Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworski described Florida’s windstorm mitigation discount program, explaining that the 1802 inspection form is used to assess a home’s overall “envelope” and determine statutory discounts. He said the office is updating the program based on a new wind loss study, with likely changes including greater recognition of roof types such as metal roofs and possible territorial risk adjustments. He also said the Legislature now requires the office to revisit the study every five years. Stephen Fielder of the Department of Financial Services reported on My Safe Florida Home, noting that the program offers inspections and grants for roof and opening protections, has completed more than 100,000 inspections, and has reimbursed hundreds of millions of dollars. He said the department has validated its discount calculations with insurers and that the program is intended to help homeowners reduce premiums through verified mitigation work. Michael Newman of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety said Florida’s building code is nationally leading and that post-Ian surveys found no wind-driven structural damage in buildings built after adoption of the code. He argued that mitigation should be treated as a system, not isolated upgrades, and suggested adding Fortified designation to the state’s mitigation form to better document verified resilience improvements. Bill Truex, a county commissioner and builder, stressed the need to educate homeowners about floodproofing and roof choices, citing examples where flood panels prevented damage and noting that asphalt shingles often do not last as long in Florida as their marketing suggests. In panel discussion, senators asked about program eligibility, outreach to elderly and digitally challenged residents, contractor vetting, roof-life disclosures, and whether flood insurance should be more broadly required. Officials said outreach will include call centers and in-person assistance, and several participants urged better consumer disclosure and more data-driven guidance on roof and mitigation choices.

Transcript Highlights:

• person sitting next to me, who did run IBHS, about mitigation and how it can help reduce the risk of
• Since wildfire ignites structures through embers, which was flame contact, IBHS studies and works to
• So IBHS prioritizes research about how to defend against embers.
• However, IBHS is committed to standing up a program here in New Mexico.
• , listening to IBHS and my fellow commissioners and how we could do better.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this, uh, insurance, uh, the Insurance Institute of Business and Home Safety, IBHS is a scientific
• So the purpose of HB 2841 allows building certified under IBHS, uh, to, Get qualification in the CWIIA
• The IBHS really is the gold standard when it comes to designing a home that's fortified to withstand
• I will tell you though that when we talk about IBHS and the science behind this, we fund that, uh, in
• Mention just briefly a little more on IBHS. So this is an industry funded and supported entity.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Insurance Institute of Business and Home Safety, IBHS, is a scientific research organization that
• IBHS...
• We get a lot of really important data out of what IBHS does in their testing.
• I will tell you though that when we talk about IBHS and the science behind this, we fund that.
• More on IBHS: this is an industry funded and supported entity.

Bills: HB778, HB 1266, HB1576, HB2213, HB2517, HB2518, HB2841, HB3306, HB3320, HB3388, HB3508, HB3520, HB3689

Keywords: credentialing, healthcare, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, managed care, hurricane, windstorm, loss mitigation, grants, insurance discounts, property retrofitting, insurance, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, board composition, coastal counties, property insurance, taxation, Texas FAIR Plan Association, premium taxes, maintenance taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, you have fundamentally an IBHS-based standard.
• Well, you have fundamentally an IBHS-based standard.
• Well, you have fundamentally an IBHS-based standard.
• Well, you have fundamentally an IBHS-based standard.
• <00:21:27.679> program, things consistent with the IBHS program, things consistent with the

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The interim task force on disaster prevention and resiliency met for its fourth meeting and focused heavily on insurance markets, affordability, and mitigation. Cochairs noted they are working toward recommendations for a later fall meeting. The main presentation came from David Snyder of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, who said the insurance industry sees itself as part of the problem and part of the solution because it ultimately pays for losses created by natural conditions, development choices, and construction practices. Snyder described rising losses from natural catastrophes, inflation-driven increases in rebuilding and repair costs, more development in disaster-prone areas, wildfire exposure, severe convective storms, hail, and roof damage. He argued that Kentucky should avoid the mistakes he attributed to California, where regulatory responses contributed to a strained insurance market and greater reliance on the FAIR Plan. He said Kentucky’s private market appears to be functioning better, with relatively few FAIR Plan policies, and urged lawmakers to preserve that market through risk-based rates and policies that do not worsen availability. He recommended a broad mitigation strategy involving stronger building codes, land-use decisions, stormwater infrastructure, public access to risk data, and incentives for resilient construction. He highlighted programs such as the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, fortified-home standards, wildfire-prepared community practices, and examples from Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida showing that mitigation can produce quick returns and insurance discounts. He also suggested catastrophe savings accounts, flexible coverage options, and a whole-of-government approach that includes the insurance department, building-code agencies, first responders, FEMA, NFIP, and NOAA. In questions, a legislator asked about the prognosis if carriers continue exiting markets and if nothing is done to address affordability and accessibility. Snyder said he could not predict market exits but stressed that regulators should monitor the market closely, use available data, and focus on loss prevention and mitigation. He said insurers want to do business in Kentucky and that the long-term solution is coordinated action among public and private stakeholders to reduce risk and keep coverage available.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, talking is the industry through IBHS, you know, starting to feel like there's enough data out
• , you know, starting to feel through IBHS, you know, starting to feel like<00:57:05.920> there's
• certified by IBHS certified by IBHS um<01:04:55.039> to<01:04:55.280> be<01:04:55.440
• thing, but as we've heard from IBHS during<01:07:01.359> their<01:07:01.599> presentation,
• I don't know the answer to it, but I'm sure we could get some input from IBHS on it.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The task force approved the minutes from the previous meeting and then reviewed the structure and statutory requirements for its final report. Staff explained that the report must go to the commissioners of commerce, housing finance, and economic development, as well as relevant legislative leaders, and must include a summary of task force activities, adopted findings and recommendations, tort reform recommendations to reduce insurance costs, any draft legislation, and other necessary information. A draft report, likely excluding recommendations and draft legislation, is expected to be circulated before the first January meeting. Most of the meeting focused on the Fair Plan and whether it could be expanded to help homeowners associations, affordable housing, and common interest communities that are struggling to obtain coverage. Supporters said these groups are facing availability problems and often end up in the surplus lines market, which lacks the consumer protections of the admitted market. They argued the Fair Plan could serve as a third-market option with stronger protections and better access, especially for properties that are having difficulty getting quotes. Several members and witnesses raised concerns that the Fair Plan was never intended to be a broad affordability solution and warned against using it to artificially lower prices below risk-based levels. They said doing so could shift losses onto other policyholders through assessments and potentially weaken the broader insurance market. The Fair Plan administrator explained that any expansion would require substantial research, staffing, actuarial and underwriting expertise, reinsurance planning, IT changes, and likely assessments or other capitalization decisions, and that the plan would need to focus on a limited subset of properties rather than the entire market. No votes were taken on policy recommendations, and the discussion ended with agreement that more information and scoping work are needed before any formal recommendation is made.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've been working with the NAIC and IBHS, who came and presented last year, the Insurance Institute
• They've been working with IBHS.
• My people are going to be trained to get the certifications through IBHS, and that's going to be our
• Able to get the certifications through IBHS, and that's going to be our pilot program.
• IBHS and the NAIC and MNERD and Forestry have all been working together.

Transcript Highlights:

• if I can, commend Senator Thornton for doing mitigation, and I hope he's doing it according to the IBHS
• Hopefully, we're going to get discounts from the insurance companies if we take on these IBHS standards
• And IBHS, as people may or may... ...on these IBHS standards.
• And IBHS, as people may or may not know, is funded by the insurance industry, and they accept those standards

Bills: SB154, SB187, SB193, SM3

Keywords: insurance, wildfire, flood damage, natural disasters, property coverage, water projects, appropriation, New Mexico, finance authority, infrastructure, New Mexico Finance Authority, funding, SB193, acequia, community ditch, irrigation works construction fund, water infrastructure, ditch infrastructure, irrigation, New Mexico water law

Transcript Highlights:

• lots of discussion about IBHS lots of discussion about IBHS fortified<00:29:59.160> roofs.
• <00:30:56.000> path IBHS path IBHS path there's<00:30:57.680> going<00:30:57.960> to
• My view of it is on that IBHS standard.
• > the<00:33:53.080> Insurance so IBHS [snorts] is the Insurance so IBHS [snorts] is the
• single lane of the IBHS single lane of the IBHS standard<00:45:15.560> roof.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 562, which would create a home damage mitigation and resilience grant program aimed at helping homeowners make property improvements that could reduce insurance costs and non-renewals. Commissioner DJ Bettencourt of the New Hampshire Insurance Department explained that the program is modeled in part on Alabama’s safer homes program, but tailored for New Hampshire hazards such as floods, microbursts, heavy snow, ice, and falling trees. He said the grants would be limited to primary residences, subject to a means test, capped at $10,000, and intended to help homeowners make targeted improvements such as roof fortification or tree removal that could improve underwriting outcomes and lead to premium discounts. Bettencourt said the program would not use state taxpayer funds and would instead rely on philanthropic donations, possible federal or regional housing-bank funding, and other outside sources. He said the department would not need new staff, and that a current position could be reconfigured to help administer the program part-time. Committee members asked about the funding language, the meaning of “loans” in the bill, whether there were any other states using a similar no-state-funds model, and how many homeowners could be helped. Bettencourt said Rhode Island and Connecticut were moving forward in a similar way, and that the number of beneficiaries would depend on how much money is raised. Members also questioned how the grant program would actually lower premiums, whether savings would apply only to participants or more broadly, and how the IBHS evaluation process would work. Bettencourt and department staff said the direct benefit would be to the homeowner whose property is improved, though neighbors could also benefit in some cases. They explained that IBHS is a building-safety organization that certifies contractors and inspectors and that its standards can qualify homes for insurer discounts. Questions were also raised about confidentiality provisions, first-come-first-served grant awards, rollover of unused applications, and possible tax treatment of donations. The sponsor said those details would be addressed through rulemaking or existing tax rules, and no vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, IBHS
• IBHS has developed safety and mitigation standards for properties, including fortified standards to protect
• Commission, including our APCI CEO, and they made over a hundred recommendations, including support for the IBHS
• The Act builds on extensive safety research by insurers, the IBHS, the Wildland Fire Management Commission

Bills: HB471

Keywords: forest management, wildfire prevention, public lands, Tribal jurisdiction, Fix Our Forests Act, wildfire, forest health, hazardous fuels reduction, fuels treatment, prescribed burning, mechanical thinning, mastication, fuel breaks, fire breaks, wildland-urban interface, WUI, fireshed, fireshed management area, fireshed registry, Fireshed Center

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on H.R. 471, the Fix Our Forests Act, which aims to address the ongoing crisis of wildfires exacerbated by climate change and the need for updated forest management practices. Various committee members voiced concerns about past federal management failures and emphasized the necessity for collaborative approaches involving local communities and stakeholders in forest management. As discussions unfolded, there were varying perspectives on the implications of certain provisions in the bill, particularly around regulatory changes and their likely impacts on public participation and environmental reviews.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our state is now home to more than 5,500 Our state is now home to more than 5,500 IBHS-certified fortified
• From this study, we have learned that the IBHS-certified fortified roofs not only performed as advertised
• I actually have the very first IBHS wildfire-prepared home certification, and because of that, we're

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee met to consider several bills focused on California’s insurance market, wildfire resilience, and consumer protections. AB 888, the California Safe Homes Act, was heard first. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Alabama Insurance Commissioner Mark Fowler testified in support, describing state grant programs that help homeowners harden roofs and create defensible space, with the goal of reducing losses and improving insurance affordability and availability. Supporters from the insurance industry, local government, and the Rebuild Paradise Foundation also backed the bill, and committee members emphasized the need for more incentives for mitigation. The bill passed the committee on a do pass motion and was sent to Appropriations. AB 290, by Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan, would require the FAIR Plan to offer automatic payments and address non-renewal grace-period issues. The author described her own experience being forced onto the FAIR Plan and facing a large premium increase, while Consumer Federation of California called the bill common-sense consumer protection. The FAIR Plan opposed unless amended, saying it was already handling major wildfire claims and other operational demands and requested more time and changes to the non-renewal grace-period language. Members across the committee supported the bill as a needed modernization measure, and it passed as amended to Appropriations. AB 1339, by Assemblymember Gonzalez, would direct the Department of Insurance to study insurance availability and pricing for affordable housing providers and report policy recommendations. Supporters from affordable housing organizations said rising premiums were forcing providers to cut services, defer maintenance, and use reserves, threatening housing stability for low-income residents. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations. AB 646, by Assemblymember Wallace, also passed to Appropriations; it concerns disclosure related to motor vehicle protection products and catalytic converter theft deterrence, with support from auto dealers and industry groups. The committee also approved AB 1531 on consent. Members later added on to the record in support of the bills, and the hearing concluded without recorded opposition votes on the measures that advanced.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:46:32.800> um<00:46:33.040> insurance<00:46:33.440> for excuse me the IBHS
• um insurance for excuse me the IBHS um insurance for business<00:46:34.160> and<00:46:35.119>
• , through the IBHS, through the IBHS, um<00:48:44.640> that's<00:48:44.960> a<00:48
• So, uh, I think that within the, uh, IBHS framework there are standards, fortified standards related
• >> so I I think that within the uh IBHS >> so I I think that within the uh IBHS framework

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• lots of discussion about IBHS lots of discussion about IBHS fortified<00:29:59.160> roofs.
• And Alabama focused their program a lot on that IBHS standard.
• My view of it is on that IBHS standard.
• Now, if compliance with IBHS standards.
• single lane of the IBHS single lane of the IBHS standard<00:45:15.560> roof.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I will also say that my colleague to my left from IBHS helped; their organization helps to author
• Steve Hawks, Senior Director for Wildfire at the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, or IBHS
• programs to the last couple of years of deep dive into the research around wildfire mitigation at IBHS—I
• Now, IBHS is a nonprofit organization funded by the insurance and reinsurance industry.
• IBHS is working very closely with Chief Berlant and staff on updates when appropriate based on research

Summary: The hearing focused on California wildfire resilience, with the first panel discussing statewide funding, policy, and strategic priorities, and the second panel shifting to home hardening and defensible space. The LAO outlined the state’s wildfire risk, the large increase in resilience spending in recent years, and the fact that most funding has been one-time rather than ongoing. Testimony emphasized that wildfire risk varies greatly by region, that the state must balance response spending with prevention, and that success should be measured more carefully than by acres treated alone. Witnesses also noted the importance of local, federal, utility, and Proposition 4 funding sources, as well as the need for long-term maintenance and strategic prioritization rather than scattered projects. Cal Fire leadership and other witnesses stressed that California’s wildfire problem is not uniform: forested areas, chaparral, and wildland-urban interface communities require different strategies. In Northern California and forested watersheds, speakers emphasized fuels reduction, prescribed and cultural burning, strategic fuel breaks, watershed protection, and maintaining forest health. In Southern California, testimony focused on wind-driven fires, ember intrusion, ignition prevention along roads and power lines, and the limits of large-scale vegetation clearing. Several witnesses argued that the state should invest where it can leverage local and regional partnerships, support capacity-building programs like Regional Forest and Fire Capacity, and improve data systems to track treatment effectiveness and project outcomes. Members repeatedly pressed witnesses on how to prioritize limited funds, asking what should be done more of, less of, and first. The chair argued that protecting homes and communities through hardening and defensible space should be a major priority, especially near structures, while also acknowledging the need for broader landscape work and watershed protection. There was discussion of incentives such as insurance discounts, property tax treatment, and community certification for hardened homes, along with the need for multiple payers rather than relying on the state alone. Cal Fire reported new and expanding data tools, including treatment trackers, defensible space inspection dashboards, and a fuels treatment effectiveness program that evaluates whether nearby treatments affected wildfire behavior. No votes were taken because the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are supporting state and federal adoption of funding for IBHS safety standards, including wildfire
• IBHS programs like Fortified and...
• Last month, IBHS and KB Home celebrated the opening of Dixon Trail, a new community outside of San Diego

Keywords: homeowners insurance, natural disasters, insurance costs, climate change, disaster preparedness, federal policies, bipartisan solutions

Summary: The meeting reviewed critical issues surrounding the rising costs and accessibility of homeowners insurance across the United States, particularly in light of increasing natural disasters linked to climate change. Members engaged in extensive discussions regarding the implications for families and the economy, citing significant increases in premiums and decreasing availability of policies in high-risk areas. Supervisor Peysko highlighted the direct impact of federal policies on local communities, emphasizing the growing burden on homeowners as they face skyrocketing insurance costs amidst a backdrop of environmental challenges and regulatory constraints. The committee expressed a unified call to action for bipartisan solutions, focusing on improving building codes and enhancing disaster preparedness measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• WINDSTORM MITIGATION PROGRAM WITH THE EFFORTS THAT KEVIN MENTIONED EARLIER AND YOU WILL HEAR FROM IBHS
• THE WALL OF WIND, IBHS, OTHER INSTITUTES THAT DO IT, IT IS ALL REALLY GOOD DATA TO HAVE A LAB CONDITIONS
• THAT IS WHY WE HAD IBHS PUT SO MUCH EMPHASIS ON THE ROOF AND THE COMMISSIONERS ARE RIGHT THERE.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• bad windstorm, we had a microburst, and there were five houses in that microburst area who had the IBHS
• Explain what IBHS is: International Building and Home Safety, which is an organization funded by the
• And your structures to the IBHS standard, which is a fortified home standard.
• bad windstorm, we had a microburst, and there were five houses in that microburst area who had the IBHS
• that microburst area who had the ibhs that microburst area who had the ibhs Fortified<01:49:42.840

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee first reviewed its schedule, noting that 13 bills were being executed the next day and that additional subcommittee work would be scheduled around Town Meeting Day and the following session days. The chair explained that the committee would not meet on Town Meeting Day, would handle the remaining bills on the next available subcommittee day, and would continue any unfinished items later in the month. The committee then took up House Bill 774, which concerned Medicare-related coverage issues. Members discussed the bill’s purpose and the differences between Medicare standard and Medicare Advantage, with one member saying the proposal was informative but did not offer a workable solution. The committee also moved to inexpedient to legislate on House Bill 185, and the motion passed on a 6-0 vote. House Bill 241, relating to alternatives to opioids, was retained for further work. Members said the bill raised concerns about insurers effectively practicing medicine and about the lack of evidence on the efficacy of some alternative treatments, while also noting that chiropractic coverage mandates already exist in statute. The committee voted to retain the bill, with the motion passing 6-0. The most extended discussion was on House Bill 648, which would expand insurance coverage for glucose monitoring. Testimony and committee comments focused on whether coverage should be tied to insulin use or instead to a physician’s medical judgment, the role of continuous glucose monitoring for people with type 2 diabetes who are not on insulin, and the potential cost impact. An insurance department fiscal analyst said the original $22-per-member estimate was based on the unamended bill and that the amended version would require updated analysis; members agreed to retain the bill to narrow the eligible population and revisit the language later.

Transcript Highlights:

• information and we'll be happy to provide that and I will also say that my colleague to my left from IBHS
• programs to the last couple of years. of deep dive into the research around wildfire mitigation at IBHS
• IBHS is a non-profit organization funded by the insurance and reinsurance industry.
• And IBHS is working very closely with Chief Berlant and staff on updates when appropriate based in research

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• risk continue with aging infrastructure, specifically on the single-family residential side, uh, the IBHS
• residential<00:32:52.880> side,<00:32:53.919> uh<00:32:54.080> the<00:32:54.240> IBHS
• <00:32:54.960> and residential side, uh the IBHS and residential side, uh the IBHS and fortified

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 449 relating to economic development, HB 1006 relating to the Agribusiness Development Corporation, and then began HB 1467 relating to housing resiliency. On HB 449, Director Wayne Enoy of the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation and several business groups, including the Chamber of Commerce and Hawaii Food Industry Association, testified in strong support. They said the measure would help local manufacturers and tech-focused businesses adapt to uncertainty around tariffs and federal funding pauses, diversify Hawaiʻi’s economy, and expand workforce training and apprenticeship efforts tied to innovation and manufacturing. The bulk of the discussion focused on HB 1006 and proposed agritourism authority for ADC. ADC, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, and other supporters said agritourism can be a value-added tool that helps farmers diversify income while keeping agriculture as the primary use of the land. One testifier opposed the bill’s direction without stronger guardrails, urging that a high percentage of revenue or land use remain tied to actual agricultural production. Committee members questioned ADC and Farm Bureau witnesses about how much land should remain in production, whether agritourism could expand on public lands, how enforcement would work, and whether responsibilities should be shifted from the Department of Agriculture’s marketing functions to ADC. Witnesses said ADC currently has no tenants engaged in agritourism, but would support standards, annual reporting, site visits, and the ability to reclaim land if production requirements are not met. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided. After concluding HB 1006 testimony and questions, the committee moved on to HB 1467 and called the first witness, Luke Meyers, before the transcript ended.