The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Feb. 14 advanced substitute House Bill 1539, which establishes a wildfire mitigation and resiliency standards work group, and adopted an amendment to expand membership and sharpen transparency requirements.

Staff briefed the committee that HB 1539 creates the wildfire mitigation and resiliency standards work group. The remaining amendment on the Executive Budget Book (SMIL 032), moved by Representative Dent, would add two represented entities to the work group — small forest landowners and rural landowners — and would direct the group's recommendations regarding consumer transparency to focus on policyholder disclosures intended to increase insurance availability and market stability.

Representative Dent urged support for the amendment, saying the added representation ensures stakeholders from communities most affected by wildfire are included. Chair Reeves noted the Dent amendment is ‘‘very, very similar, almost exactly’’ to an earlier amendment and that the added member would ensure rural viewpoints are represented. The committee voice-voted to adopt the amendment.

Following amendment adoption, the committee voted to report substitute House Bill 1539 out of committee "with a due pass recommendation." Staff announced the roll call result as 10 ayes, 0 nays and 1 excused (Representative Nance). The committee record also notes that amendment SMIL 029 had been withdrawn prior to the executive session.

The work group created by the bill is intended to provide recommendations that could limit insurance nonrenewals, increase transparency for consumers and create statewide standards for wildfire mitigation education and insurance disclosures. The substitute as adopted directs inclusion of additional stakeholders and a focus on policyholder disclosures as a path to market stability.