SHB 1793
In CommitteeHouse
Reports of fire losses
Modifying reports of fire losses.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill requires insurers to report fire loss information—including cause, payout, and suspected criminal activity—to the insurance commissioner and, when appropriate, to local or tribal law enforcement. It establishes strict confidentiality for these reports, allows limited sharing with government and fire safety agencies, and provides legal immunity for insurers acting in good faith. The goal is to improve fire loss tracking, support fire investigations, and enhance wildfire resilience planning.
- Insurers must report fire loss details—including property address, date of loss, payout amounts, cause, and other required info—to the insurance commissioner within 30 days of closing or adjusting a claim.
- If an insurer suspects a fire loss involves criminal activity, it must immediately report to both local/tribal law enforcement and the insurance commissioner, and provide full or partial investigation files upon request.
- Fire loss reports and related information are confidential and privileged, exempt from public disclosure under the Public Records Act, and protected from civil subpoenas.
- The insurance commissioner may share fire loss data with state and federal agencies, law enforcement, fire officials, and rating bureaus—with strict confidentiality rules—to support investigations, public safety planning, and wildfire resilience efforts.
- Insurers are granted civil immunity for good-faith reporting to law enforcement and cooperation with criminal investigations, unless actual malice, fraud, or bad faith is proven.
Who is affected
- Insurance companies (authorized insurers) — Insurers must report fire loss details to the insurance commissioner and, in suspected criminal cases, to local/tribal law enforcement and the commissioner; they gain immunity from civil liability for good-faith reporting and cooperation with criminal investigations.
- Local and tribal law enforcement agencies — Local and tribal law enforcement agencies receive fire loss reports from insurers when criminal activity is suspected, and must share those reports with the state fire marshal or designated fire investigator.
- State and local fire investigation and planning agencies — The state fire marshal's office and local fire officials receive aggregated, non-identifiable fire loss data for wildfire planning, resiliency efforts, and public safety planning.
- Office of the Insurance Commissioner — The insurance commissioner and staff handle, review, and share confidential fire loss reports; they are prohibited from testifying in civil cases about this information but may cooperate in criminal investigations.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for concerns
Potential Benefits (4)
By enabling local and tribal law enforcement and fire officials to use aggregated fire loss data for public safety planning—without revealing personally identifiable information—the bill helps communities better prepare for and respond to wildfires, directly benefiting everyday residents in high-risk areas.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 2(3)(a)(vi)Timely reporting of suspected criminal fire activity to law enforcement supports faster investigations and more effective prosecution of arson, protecting homeowners and communities from repeated victimization—especially vulnerable populations in wildfire-prone regions.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 2(2)(a)The strict confidentiality provisions protect sensitive personal and financial data of policyholders (e.g., claim details, property addresses, payout amounts) from public exposure, reducing risk of identity theft, discrimination, or harassment—particularly important for low-income and marginalized households.
Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Sec. 2(3)Standardizing and expanding fire loss reporting (e.g., adding cause, suspected criminal activity, and other required data) improves data quality for insurers, enabling better risk assessment and potentially stabilizing premiums over time—benefiting both insurers and responsible policyholders.
Business & EmploymentRef: Sec. 2(1)
Potential Concerns (5)
The bill enhances fire investigation capacity by requiring insurers to report fire loss details—including suspected criminal activity—to law enforcement and the insurance commissioner, enabling better coordination between insurers, fire officials, and police.
Public SafetyRef: Sec. 2(3)The bill allows sharing of aggregated, non-identifiable fire loss data with the state fire marshal and local fire officials for wildfire resilience and public safety planning, improving long-term risk mitigation.
Public SafetyRef: Sec. 2(3)(a)(v)-(vi)Mandating immediate reporting to law enforcement when criminal activity is suspected improves early detection and potential prosecution of arson and insurance fraud, supporting deterrence.
Public SafetyRef: Sec. 2(2)(a)The bill creates strong confidentiality protections: fire loss reports are exempt from public disclosure, civil subpoenas, and testimony in civil cases, safeguarding privacy of claimants and policyholders.
Rights & LibertiesRef: Sec. 2(3)Insurers receive civil immunity for good-faith reporting and cooperation with criminal investigations, reducing legal exposure and encouraging compliance without fear of frivolous lawsuits.
Business & EmploymentRef: Sec. 2(2)(c)
Who Is Most Affected
Insurers face new administrative burdens—reporting within 30 days, training staff, and implementing systems—but gain legal immunity and may benefit from reduced fraud losses. Small and mid-sized insurers may struggle more with compliance costs than large carriers.
Local and tribal law enforcement gain access to timely, detailed fire loss data that can aid arson investigations and interagency coordination. However, they must share received data with the state fire marshal and may face resource strain if reporting volume increases significantly.
State and local fire officials gain aggregated, non-identifiable fire loss data for wildfire planning and resilience efforts. This improves long-term public safety outcomes but does not provide direct, individual-level data for specific property protection.
The Office of the Insurance Commissioner gains expanded data collection and sharing authority, improving its ability to monitor fire trends and support public safety. However, it must invest in new data management infrastructure and legal compliance processes.