March 5, 2019
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s proposal to prepare for and mitigate the effects of climate disasters passed the state Senate on March 4 with a 47-0 vote.
Senate Bill 5106 (leg.wa.gov) will create a work group composed of legislators, state agencies, insurance companies and other key parties. The group will review and make recommendations on how to best coordinate and improve disaster resiliency work in Washington state.
“It’s critical that Washington state take action to be prepared for natural disasters, and I thank Sen. Mona Das for sponsoring the legislation,” said Kreidler. “Washington state has the second-highest earthquake risk in the country and only 11 percent of homeowners statewide have earthquake insurance. Our state has suffered devastating wildfires in recent years and subsequent flooding. This legislation would help our state identify strategies to mitigate disasters like these.”
“Washington state is prone to a variety of natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods landslides and wildfires,” said Sen. Mona Das (D-Kent). “With climate change, some of these disasters are becoming even more devastating. We owe it to the people of Washington to make sure that we have a plan in place, and that we can appropriately respond to these events.”
The bill is now referred to the state House of Representatives for consideration.