Two bills inspired by the 2017 mudslides and fires in California that are designed to help prevent homeowners from being underinsured when disaster strikes passed the Assembly Insurance Committee on Wednesday.

The bills, sponsored by California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, passed out of the committee with a unanimous vote. Assembly Bill 1797, authored by Assemblyman Levine, D-Marin County, and Assembly Bill 1875, authored by Jim Wood, D-Healdsburg, will help homeowners avoid being underinsured, a terrible problem faced by many survivors of the 2017 fires, according to Jones.

Underinsurance was one of the most significant problems facing fire and mudslide survivors in the aftermath of the 2017 fires and ensuing mudslides. According to a survey conducted by United Policyholders following the 2017 North Bay fires, 66 percent of survivors were underinsured on the dwelling portion of their claim and 47 percent were underinsured on the contents portion of their claim.

“These bills are designed to help fire and mudslide survivors avoid the huge financial burden of being underinsured and unable to afford to rebuild by tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Jones said in a statement. “They offer California consumers more peace of mind knowing that if disaster strikes their insurance coverage should be sufficient to cover the costs of rebuilding and they will be able to move forward with certainty.”

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