California Assembly Panel Passes Insurance Bill, But Strips Provision To Aid October Fire Victims

The state Assembly Insurance Committee approved on Wednesday legislation to revamp insurance rules in the aftermath of natural disasters, but removed a provision that could have aided victims of last year’s North Bay fires. The panel approved the bill (SB 894) by state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, which would provide more flexibility to policyholders who lost their homes in the aftermath of declared disaster area. After strong lobbying by the insurance industry, the state Senate in May passed a version that dropped most of the retroactive benefits that could have helped local fire victims.