Commissioner Lara applauds passage of 2022-23 State Budget bill by State Legislature

News: 2022 Press Release

LOS ANGELES — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today applauded members of the State Legislature for passing the 2022-23 State Budget bill. The budget moves California forward on expanding access to health care, helping Californians prepare for climate change, and preventing wildfires.

“This budget sets clear priorities on the health and well-being of Californians. The Governor and state legislative leaders have wisely made moves to focus on expanding health care, taking on climate change, and addressing wildfire prevention, which will greatly assist my Department’s efforts to keep insurance coverage within reach for all.

“Health4All Californians in this budget is a historic groundbreaking step, one that will greatly help many vulnerable families and continue to help our state and economy recover from the pandemic.

“Having a budget that builds on the recommendations of front-line firefighters, homeowners, and business owners who have suffered losses will help us keep people safer in upcoming wildfire seasons, benefiting insurance consumers.

“As climate change continues to ravage our environment through a seemingly endless cycle of extreme weather events, this budget helps us take action to protect Californians. I want to thank members of the State Senate and State Assembly for voting on a state budget that moves California forward.”

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Media Notes:

• As a State Senator, Commissioner Lara authored Health4All Kids covering all children up to age 18, and introduced the first bills to cover all older adults.
• Working alongside the emergency response agencies in Governor Newsom's Administration, Commissioner Lara announced Safer from Wildfires, an insurance framework based on a three-level approach to protecting homes and businesses. He has proposed regulations that would incorporate the framework in pricing, driving down costs and increasing transparency for millions of Californians.
• Commissioner Lara also authored SB 30 (Chapter 614, Statutes of 2018) which established a working group of environmental advocates, researchers, and insurance experts making recommendations for policies to reduce the costs from wildfires, extreme heat, and flooding. They released the first-ever report in 2021 titled “Protecting Communities, Preserving Nature, and Building Resiliency: How First-of-Its-Kind Climate Insurance Will Help Combat the Costs of Wildfires, Extreme Heat, and Floods.”
• Commissioner Lara is sponsoring legislation this year to create a statewide early warning system to help protect Californians from climate change-intensified extreme heat which can cause deaths and injuries to vulnerable communities, making California the first state to rank heat waves.