AB 1642 and AB 1795 Are Formally Before Governor Newsom

EFRU-sponsored AB 1642 and AB 1795 were formally presented to the Governor on September 4 after passing the State Legislature, and EFRU members played an integral role in getting them there. Months of calls, emails and social-media advocacy helped move AB 1642 through both houses and helped ensure AB 1795 would work alongside its health-and-safety requirements. Together, the mutually contingent bills would create California’s first statewide framework for contamination in standing homes after wildland-urban interface fires: AB 1642 establishes science-based testing, remediation and clearance standards, while AB 1795 adds corresponding insurance protections, including a rebuttable presumption of wildfire causation within the impact zone, insurer responsibility for necessary testing, and ALE protections through restoration and clearance where applicable. Both bills must be signed for either to take effect.

Action: Stay tuned for updates on the bill signing. Track AB 1642 | Track AB 1795

Related coverage: WUSA9 / Associated Press | Imperfect Paradise / LAist | Suara Garut | The Economic Times