Representative Kevin Kiley (R-CA) has re-introduced the Supporting Affordable Fire Emergency Hardening through Optimized Mitigation Efforts (SAFE HOME) Act. He introduced the bill once before in December 2023, but it never made it out of the House Ways & Means committee.
Kiley, who represents the Lake Tahoe area, said Californians are struggling to pay higher home insurance rates while also trying to harden their homes against fires. Homeowners would find financial relief under this new legislation.
“The federal government needs to be more proactive in bringing down the high cost of mitigating wildfires. Preventing damage is preferable to simply putting out fires after the fact and certainly less expensive than rebuilding communities that have been destroyed. My bill is designed to help families strengthen home protections that prevent the damage in the first place,” said Rep. Kiley.
Rep. Kiley’s bill would:
- Create a 25 percent refundable tax credit for wildfire mitigation (home hardening).
- Credit is capped at $25,000 a year.
- Include an inflation adjustment for any year after 2024 equal to the cost-of-living adjustment.
The bill would be an amendment to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
Kiley states in the bill that home hardening expenses include a fire-resistant roof not less than a class A rating, installation of roof coverings, sheathing, flashing, roof and attic vents, eaves, or gutters that conform to ignition-resistant construction standards. It would also include the expense of wall components, exterior walls, doors, windows, decks, and fences that also meet those standards. Other expenses that would qualify include the installation of sprinkler systems, clearance of tree branches, removal or reduction of flammable vegetation, and removal of decks and fences.
Kiley’s bill has not yet been assigned to a committee. It can be read HERE.
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Alice J. Roden started working for Trending Insurance News at the end of 2021. Alice grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. A writer with a vast insurance industry background Alice has help with several of the biggest insurance companies. Before joining Trending Insurance News, Alice briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers home, renters and other property insurance stories.