Commissioner Kuderer is working to establish a grant program to increase home resiliency for residents of the most at-risk areas, which was also a recommendation from the Wildfire mitigation and resiliency standards work group.
The Strengthen Washington Homes grant program would fund wildfire mitigation measures based on the Insurance Institute of Home and Business Safety’s (IBHS) standards (PDF 6.42MB). Several states, including Alabama, have implemented similar programs using IBHS standards to reduce claims from extreme weather events. Washington’s pilot program would be funded by the OIC’s regulatory funds and would have no impact on the state budget.
Kuderer’s proposed bill establishing the program in 2026 passed the Senate 37-11, but did not advance out of the House Consumer Protection & Business Committee.
Commissioner Kuderer’s proposed Strengthen Washington Homes grant program would help people pay for the improvements required to obtain a Wildfire Prepared Home designation, using funds from the OIC’s regulatory accounts and not the state general fund. Under this bill, consumers who invest in these standards will be protected from non-renewals or cancellations due to wildfire risk.
IBHS’s Wildfire Prepared Home designations are available for Washington homeowners.