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New California Law Eases Homeowner Burden After a Fire

They won't have to submit an exhaustive list of lost items to insurers
Posted Oct 13, 2025 10:40 AM CDT
New California Law Eases Homeowner Burden After a Fire
A woman pours water on a neighbor's fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025.   (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong,File)

A new law in California will make it easier for homeowners who lost everything in a wildfire to get money from their insurance company. Starting next year, insurers in the state will be required to pay out at least 60% of a homeowner's personal-property coverage, up to $350,000, without demanding a detailed inventory of every item lost, reports the New York Times. Previously, only 30% was automatically advanced, with a cap at $250,000. The law applies to homes declared as a total loss, and it extends from 60 days to 100 days the deadline for policyholders to provide their insurer with proof of loss, per the Mercury News.

The law falls short of the full payout sought in the "Eliminate the List Act," but that idea faced resistance from the insurance industry, which argued it would lead to higher premiums. Democratic state Sen. Ben Allen, who authored the bill, called the concession frustrating but necessary, while still describing the new law as a significant improvement for wildfire victims. Currently, most homeowner policies require survivors to provide exhaustive lists—often thousands of items long—before insurers will reimburse them for lost belongings. The process, which often requires receipts or photos, has been described by survivors and advocates as emotionally taxing. The new law is not retroactive.

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