Senate Bill 5928 - Wildfire Risk Models and Wildfire Risk Score Disclosure (Washington, 2026)

Summary

Senate Bill 5928, State of Washington, 69th Legislature, 2026 Regular Session, by Senators Warnick, Short, Hasegawa, Holy, Nobles, Riccelli, Shewmake, and Stanford, by request of Insurance Commissioner, prefiled 12/22/25 and referred to the Committee on Business, Trade & Economic Development. The bill is an act relating to wildfire risk models and wildfire risk score disclosure. It requires an insurer that uses a wildfire risk score to give the applicant or insured, and the relevant insurance producer, the current score, the range of possible scores, who created the score, the date it was created, and the key factors that adversely contributed. It also sets a deadline of 30 calendar days for a revised score after documentation of a mitigation action, and allows an appeal to the insurer.

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Full text

     Z-0513.2

                               SENATE BILL 5928


     State of Washington       69th Legislature       2026 Regular Session

     By Senators Warnick, Short, Hasegawa, Holy, Nobles, Riccelli,
     Shewmake, and Stanford; by request of Insurance Commissioner

     Prefiled 12/22/25. Read first time 01/12/26.    Referred to Committee
     on Business, Trade & Economic Development.




 1       AN ACT Relating to wildfire risk models and wildfire risk score
 2   disclosure; adding a new section to chapter 48.18 RCW; and adding a
 3   new section to chapter 48.19 RCW.


 4   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:


 5       NEW SECTION.   Sec. 1.   A new section is added to chapter 48.18
 6   RCW to read as follows:
 7       (1) An insurer that uses a wildfire risk score relating to
 8   property insurance and in connection with either the underwriting of
 9   real property regarding eligibility for coverage, or in rating of
10   real property to generate a premium, or both, shall provide the
11   applicant or the insured, and the relevant insurance producer, the
12   following information to enhance transparency:
13       (a) The current wildfire risk score of the property to be
14   covered;
15       (b) The range of possible wildfire risk scores under the model
16   used;
17       (c) The name of the person or entity that created the wildfire
18   risk score for the property;
19       (d) The date on which the wildfire risk score was created for the
20   property; and


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 1       (e) The key factors that adversely contributed to the wildfire
 2   risk score of the property and steps the consumer can take to improve
 3   it.
 4       (2) An insurer shall provide to a property owner in writing and
 5   in plain language the information listed in subsection (1) of this
 6   section no later than 15 days after a decline or acceptance of
 7   property coverage the consumer applied for.
 8       (3) An insurer shall provide the property owner in writing and in
 9   plain language the information listed in subsection (1) of this
10   section within the renewal, nonrenewal, or cancellation notice.
11       (a) For a policy nonrenewal, the information may be provided in
12   the notice required in RCW 48.18.2901.
13       (b) For a policy cancellation, the information may be provided in
14   the notice required in RCW 48.18.290.
15       (4) An insurer shall provide a revised wildfire risk score or
16   wildfire risk classification no later than 30 calendar days after
17   receipt of the policyholder's or applicant's documentation that since
18   the last evaluation the policyholder or applicant:
19       (a) Has completed a property-specific mitigation action to reduce
20   the risk of loss; or
21       (b) Provides evidence of a community-level mitigation action in
22   sufficient proximity to the property to reduce the risk of loss.
23       (5)(a) A policyholder or applicant for a policy of property
24   insurance   whose   wildfire   risk   model   score,   wildfire  risk
25   classification assigned to the property, or applicable mitigation
26   discount is inaccurate, and provides evidence of the property-
27   specific or community-level mitigation action may appeal the score
28   directly to the insurer. The insurer shall notify the policyholder or
29   applicant in writing of the right to appeal the wildfire risk score
30   or other wildfire risk classification or applicable mitigation
31   discount when the score, classification, or discount is provided to
32   the policyholder or applicant as required by subsections (2) and (3)
33   of this section.
34       (b) If the policyholder or applicant appeals the wildfire risk
35   score or other wildfire risk classification or applicable wildfire
36   discount, the insurer shall acknowledge receipt of the appeal in
37   writing within 10 calendar days after receipt of the appeal. The
38   insurer shall respond to the appeal in writing with a reconsideration
39   and decision within 30 calendar days after receiving the appeal. If
40   an appeal is denied, the insurer shall, upon request by the
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 1   commissioner, forward a copy of the appeal and the insurer's
 2   response, to the commissioner.
 3       (6) For purposes of this section:
 4       (a) "Insurer" means authorized insurers in this state; and
 5       (b) "Wildfire risk score" means a numerical value, rating, or
 6   categorization derived from a statistical tool, modeling system,
 7   algorithm, or other process that is used for the purpose of
 8   predicting the future wildfire related insurance loss exposure of a
 9   property to measure or assess wildfire risk for a residential
10   property for the purposes of property evaluation in either
11   underwriting, or rating, or both.
12       (7) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to implement
13   this section.


14       NEW SECTION.   Sec. 2.   A new section is added to chapter 48.19
15   RCW to read as follows:
16       (1)(a) An insurer that uses any wildfire risk model or a
17   catastrophe model or scoring method to assign risk shall provide the
18   wildfire risk model, catastrophe model, or scoring method used to
19   assign risk, including a description of the model, the impact of the
20   model on rates, an actuarial justification for all rating factors,
21   including mitigation discounts offered, and an explanation of the use
22   of the model in underwriting decisions, to the commissioner as part
23   of the insurer's complete rate filing.
24       (b) To the extent data is available and as established by rule,
25   an insurer shall submit to the commissioner, as part of their rate
26   filings, information on how and whether the models used for either
27   underwriting, or rating account, or both, for statewide and local
28   mitigation activities, such as forest treatment, investments in
29   wildfire fighting and mitigation equipment, and utility wildfire
30   mitigation activities.
31       (c) Wildfire risk models must not be used to determine personal
32   insurance rates, premiums, or eligibility for coverage unless the
33   scoring models are filed with the commissioner. Wildfire risk models
34   include all attributes and factors used in the calculation of a
35   wildfire risk score. RCW 48.19.040(5) does not apply to any
36   information filed under this subsection, and the information must be
37   withheld from public inspection and kept confidential by the
38   commissioner. All information filed under this subsection is
39   considered trade secrets under RCW 48.02.120(3). Information filed
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 1   under this subsection may be made public by the commissioner for the
 2   sole purpose of enforcement actions taken by the commissioner.
 3       (2) An insurer that uses a wildfire risk model, a catastrophe
 4   model, or a combination of models shall ensure the following factors
 5   are either incorporated in the wildfire risk model, catastrophe
 6   model, or combination of models or are otherwise demonstrably
 7   included in the insurer's underwriting and pricing:
 8       (a) Property-specific mitigation actions, such as establishing
 9   defensible space, incorporating building hardening measures, or
10   receiving certification from an entity with expertise in mitigation
11   of properties against wildfire; and
12       (b)   Community-level  mitigation   activities  or   designations,
13   including forest treatment, other fuel reduction activities, and
14   local fire protection efforts.
15       (3) If an insurer does not incorporate property-specific and
16   community-level mitigation actions into its models, the insurer must
17   provide discounts to policyholders who can demonstrate that property-
18   specific mitigation actions have been undertaken on the property or
19   community-level mitigation actions have been undertaken in sufficient
20   proximity to the property to reduce the risk of loss.
21       (4) An insurer shall post on its public website readily
22   accessible information on the premium discounts, incentives, or other
23   premium adjustments that are available to policyholders who undertake
24   property-specific   mitigation   actions   or   provide   evidence of
25   community-level mitigation actions and the process for appealing a
26   wildfire risk score. The website must identify, as applicable:
27       (a) Property-specific mitigation actions for the policyholder to
28   undertake and community-level mitigation actions that could result in
29   a discount, incentive, or other premium adjustment; and
30       (b) The amount of the discount, incentive, or other premium
31   adjustment associated with each action.
32       (5) For the purposes of this section:
33       (a) "Catastrophe model" means a tool, instrumentality, means, or
34   product, including a map-based tool, a computer-based tool, or a
35   simulation that is used by an insurer to estimate potential losses
36   from catastrophic events;
37       (b) "Community-level mitigation action" means a science-based
38   mitigation   action   as   demonstrated   by  a    community-level or
39   neighborhood-level designation or certification or as undertaken by a
40   government entity;
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 1       (c) "Property-specific mitigation action" means a science-based
 2   mitigation action as demonstrated by the "wildfire prepared home"
 3   designation from the insurance institute for business and home safety
 4   or by a similar mitigation program that includes a verification and
 5   certification process; and
 6       (d) "Wildfire risk model" means a tool, instrumentality, means,
 7   or product, including a map-based tool, a computer-based tool, or a
 8   simulation, that is used by an insurer in whole or in part, to
 9   measure or assess the wildfire risk associated with a residential
10   property or community for purposes of rating, classifying, or pricing
11   based on wildfire risk or estimating risks or losses corresponding to
12   the wildfire risk classifications.
13       (6) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to implement
14   this section.

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