Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 69 on September 27, 2026. It is Chapter 496, written by Assemblymember Lisa Calderon. The point of the bill is to move people off the California FAIR Plan and back into a regular homeowners or commercial property policy.
The FAIR Plan now has to send every policyholder a notice at least once a year, and again at new business and at renewal. The notice stands alone, in 14-point bold type. It tells the policyholder to call the broker, that they have the right to shop, and that the market changes. Starting January 1, 2028, the plan may share policyholder information, including the broker of record, with insurers in its homeowners and commercial clearinghouse programs so those carriers can make an offer. If a broker is on the policy, the offer goes to the broker and the policyholder at the same time. The plan has to follow the Insurance Information and Privacy Protection Act, tell people how the data will be used, and give an opt-out.
Brokers have work in the bill too. The duty to help a client find property coverage now includes explaining the clearinghouse. Every registered agent and broker has to complete a Department of Insurance training course on voluntary-market options. Beginning May 1, 2027, insurers in the clearinghouse report each quarter how many FAIR Plan customers they actually wrote. The plan then has 30 days to send the totals to the commissioner and the insurance committees and to post them.
If you are on the FAIR Plan in San Diego County, that notice is the reminder. Fire-only coverage is still fire-only. The October 15 rate increase is a separate bill. Call before you treat the residual policy as permanent. Admitted carriers are slow, and a quote is still worth asking for.
If this is on your renewal, call the office at (619) 420-8600 or start a quote. We will tell you what the market will actually write.
Sources: Insurance Business, September 30, 2026; AB 69, Chapter 496.