Bill Text: CA AB1772 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 1772 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Fire insurance: indemnity.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Passed) 2018-09-21 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 627, Statutes of 2018. [AB1772 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB1772-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate June 19, 2018

Amended IN Assembly April 11, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1772

Introduced by Assembly Members Aguiar-Curry and Wood
(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Levine and Limón)
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Gloria)
(Principal coauthors: Senators Dodd and McGuire)
(Coauthor: Senator Jackson)

January 04, 2018

An act to amend Section 2051.5 of the Insurance Code, relating to fire insurance.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1772, as amended, Aguiar-Curry. Fire insurance: indemnity.

Existing law defines the measure of indemnity for a loss under an open fire insurance policy and specifies time limits under which an insured must collect the full replacement cost of the loss. In the event of a loss relating to a state of emergency, as defined, existing law establishes a minimum time limit of not less than 24 months from the date that the first payment toward the actual cash value is made during which the insured may collect the full replacement cost of the loss, subject to the policy limit, as specified.

This bill would extend the minimum time limit during which an insured may collect the full replacement cost of a loss relating to a state of emergency to 36 months. The bill would require that additional extensions of 6 months be provided to policyholders for good cause under that circumstance. The bill would also require that policy forms ~~used~~ issued by an insurer be in compliance with these changes on and after July 1, 2019. The bill would also make technical changes.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 2051.5 of the Insurance Code is amended to read:

2051.5.

(a) (1) Under an open policy that requires payment of the replacement cost for a loss, the measure of indemnity is the amount that it would cost the insured to repair, rebuild, or replace the thing lost or injured, without a deduction for physical depreciation, or the policy limit, whichever is less.

(2) If the policy requires the insured to repair, rebuild, or replace the damaged property in order to collect the full replacement cost, the insurer shall pay the actual cash value of the damaged property, as defined in Section 2051, until the damaged property is repaired, rebuilt, or replaced. Once the property is repaired, rebuilt, or replaced, the insurer shall pay the difference between the actual cash value payment made and the full replacement cost reasonably paid to replace the damaged property, up to the limits stated in the policy.

(b) (1) (A) (i) ~~Except as provided in paragraph (2), a~~ A time limit of less than 12 months from the date that the first payment toward the actual cash value is made shall not be placed upon an insured in order to collect the full replacement cost of the loss, subject to the policy limit.

(ii) In the event of a loss relating to a “state of emergency,” as defined in Section 8558 of the Government Code, a time limit of less than 36 months from the date that the first payment toward the actual cash value is made shall not be placed upon the insured in order to collect the full replacement cost of the loss, subject to the policy limit.

(iii) This section does not prohibit an insurer from allowing the insured additional time to collect the full replacement cost.

(B) An insurer shall provide to a policyholder one or more additional extensions of six months for good cause pursuant to clause (i) or (ii) of subparagraph (A) if the insured, acting in good faith and with reasonable diligence, encounters a delay or delays in approval for, or reconstruction of, the home or residence that are beyond the control of the insured. Circumstances beyond the control of the insured include, but are not limited to, unavoidable construction permit delays, the lack of necessary construction materials, or the unavailability of contractors to perform the necessary work.

(2) In the event of a covered loss relating to a state of emergency, as defined in Section 8558 of the Government Code, coverage for additional living expenses is for a period of 24 months, but is subject to other policy provisions, provided that an extension of time required by this paragraph beyond the period provided in the policy does not increase the additional living expense policy limit in force at the time of the loss.

(c) In the event of a total loss of the insured structure, a policy issued or delivered in this state shall not contain a provision that limits or denies payment of the replacement cost in the event the insured decides to rebuild or replace the property at a location other than the insured premises. However, the measure of indemnity shall be based upon the replacement cost of the insured property and shall not be based upon the cost to repair, rebuild, or replace at a location other than the insured premises.

(d) This section does not prohibit an insurer from restricting payment in cases of suspected fraud.

(e) (1) On and after July 1, 2005, and only until July 1, 2019, all policy forms used by an insurer shall be in compliance with this section, except for the changes made to this section by the act that added paragraph (2).

(2) On and after July 1, 2019, all policy forms ~~used~~ issued by an insurer shall be in compliance with this section in its entirety, including the changes made to this section by the act that added this paragraph.