Bill > HB2407

This bill establishes the "Strengthen Washington Homes Program" to provide grants for wildfire risk mitigation for insurable dwellings, which are defined as residential properties including single-family and multi-family homes. The program aims to reduce wildfire losses that devastate communities, increase insurance rates, and harm the economy, by promoting actions that meet wildfire prepared home and neighborhood standards set by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IIBHS) or a successor. The program will be administered by the commissioner, who can accept donations and will provide grants to property owners, contractors, and non-profits, contingent on obtaining necessary permits and designations. A dedicated "Strengthen Washington Homes Program Account" will be created in the state treasury to hold funds for the program, and unexpended funds from the insurance commissioner's regulatory and fraud accounts may be used to support this new account. Additionally, insurers will be prohibited from using wildfire risk as a reason to deny property insurance if the property has a wildfire prepared designation from the IIBHS or an equivalent. The bill also makes technical amendments to existing laws regarding insurance surcharges and the distribution of investment earnings from state treasury accounts, with specific sections having contingent effective and expiration dates.

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https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2407&Year=2025&Initiative=false