The American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), along with other insurance trade organizations, has called on Congress to address wildfire risks by advancing legislative solutions in line with recommendations from the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.
In a letter to House and Senate leadership, APCIA emphasized the urgency of mitigating wildfire risks and highlighted legislative proposals, including the Fix Our Forests Act.
Reintroduced by Representatives Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Scott Peters (D-CA), the bill aims to accelerate forest management efforts and establish a Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program to coordinate federal wildfire risk reduction initiatives in the built environment.
APCIA president and CEO David A Sampson underscored the rising wildfire risk, citing the recent wildfires in Los Angeles County.
“The catastrophic wildfires raging through Los Angeles County are a stark reminder that wildfire risk is increasing. Congress must act now to reduce the risk, save lives, and protect communities,” Sampson said.
Earlier this month, APCIA announced its advocacy agenda for 2025, focusing on key issues affecting insurance affordability and availability. The priorities included addressing legal system abuse, promoting risk-based pricing, and supporting innovation in insurance markets.
Sampson stated that reducing legal system abuse is a top priority, particularly in addressing third-party litigation funding. He noted that litigation costs are rising, and the share of recovery going to injured parties has declined as lawsuits are increasingly financed by outside entities. The association supports greater transparency and disclosure in litigation funding to ensure judicial outcomes are not unduly influenced by profit-driven motives.
It also emphasized the importance of preserving insurers’ use of risk-based pricing tools. Sampson argued that competitive private markets depend on regulatory oversight that focuses on market conduct and financial solvency rather than heavy-handed government intervention.
At the federal level, APCIA plans to monitor ongoing tax debates to ensure that the tax structure remains aligned with the property-casualty insurance business model.
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