EFRU-Sponsored AB 1642 and AB 1795 Pass the Legislature — Governor Action Is Next

AB 1642 and AB 1795 as conjoined bills passed the Legislature on August 31 and were sent to the Governor on September 4 for his consideration, marking a major victory after months of determined fire-survivor advocacy. AB 1642 — EFRU’s sponsored bill, authored by Assemblymember John Harabedian — grew directly from Eaton community testing data and survivor experience, while AB 1795 ultimately became its insurance counterpart. Together, the bills would create CA’s first framework linking science-based wildfire contamination testing and clearance with meaningful insurance protections for smoke-damage claims. Fire survivors and supporters helped push AB 1642 through both the Assembly and State Senate through calls and emails, and sustained opposition to AB 1795 unless amended to align with AB 1642’s science-based protections. This was a hard-won triumph for Eaton and Palisades survivors and a major step away from visual and odor assessments toward science, testing, and measurable clearance standards; both bills must now be signed by Governor Newsom to take effect.

Action: The Governor’s signature is the next step. Watch EFRU for the next call to action to urge Governor Newsom to sign the bills into law. Track AB 1642 | Track AB 1795

AB 1642 & AB 1795 press release | Harabedian IG post | Perez IG post | CalMatters | SF Chronicle | NBC News | Telemundo 52 | LAist | LA Daily News | Property Insurance Coverage Law — Analysis