Bill · S. 5106· Senate(119-S-5106)
Wildfire Insurance Affordability Act
- Introduced
- 7/23/2026
- Last activity
- 7/23/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Sponsored by
- Jeff Merkley
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Wildfire Insurance Affordability Act aims to create a grant program to help people invest in wildfire resilience and a pilot program to help lower insurance premium costs. It establishes a Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program to fund things like home hardening and defensible space for various residential properties. The bill also creates a pilot program that provides means-tested vouchers to help qualifying households pay for wildfire insurance. This legislation includes specific distribution formulas based on population, fire risk, and equity needs. Additionally, it amends the Internal Revenue Code to ensure these payments are not included in gross income.
Yes· 3 of 13
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+5
The bill provides targeted grants and means-tested insurance premium vouchers for low-income households.
Would Native Americans be better off under this?+4
The bill prioritizes assistance for Indian Tribes in its grant distribution formula.
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?+4
The bill includes specific formula adjustments to increase assistance for rural communities.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Home Resilience: The Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program supports investments such as improving roof durability, installing automatic gas shutoff valves, and creating buffers by removing flammable vegetation (Section 2(b) and 2(c)(1)).
-
Financial Assistance for Low-Income Households: The grant program includes an equity adjustment specifically to assist low-income households and rural communities (Section 2(b)(2)(C)).
-
Insurance Premium Relief: The pilot program provides means-tested, voucher-based premium assistance to help qualifying households manage the cost of wildfire insurance (Section 3(a)).
-
Tax Benefits for Recipients: Under the amendments to the Internal Revenue Code, payments received through these grant programs are not included in an individual's gross income (Section 4(a)).
-
Protection Against Smoke Damage: Grants can be used for structural improvements like sealing windows and doors to reduce the impact of wildfire smoke or airborne particulates (Section 2(c)(1)(B)(xi)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Grant Limitations: There is a cap on the amount of assistance a household can receive through the risk reduction program, which is set at a maximum of $10,000 (Section 2(d)).
-
Temporary Nature of Insurance Assistance: The pilot program for insurance premium vouchers is scheduled to cease having force or effect five years after it is established (Section 3(f)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+5Good For Native Americans+4Good For Rural Residents+4Good For Middle Class Households+2
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Environmental Protections+4Improves Disaster Relief And F E M A+3Improves Rural Development+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Affordable Housing+3Improves Poverty Reduction+2Improves Racial Equity+2
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+3Reduces Middle Class Taxes+2Improves Economic Growth+1
- 7/23/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Introduced in Senate