State legislation requiring insurers who decline to renew home insurance to tell homeowners that there is an option of last resort was signed by the Governor last week. Sen. Mike McGuire, who introduced to the bill, said he felt it was important in light of recent wildfires across the state, which caused many in those areas to receive non-renewal notices for home insurance. “After the Valley Fire [in Lake County], we started receiving calls and emails, hearing from many people that their homeowners policy would not be renewed,” Sen. McGuire said. He has not received particular complaints from West Marin residents but, over the years, some people here have received such notices or had trouble finding an insurer. For those who can’t find insurance, there is the FAIR Plan, a program created through 1968 legislation in which ensures pool money to cover people who cannot find a policy. The problem with FAIR—which stands for Fair Access to Insurance Requirements—is its apparent obscurity, Sen. McGuire said. “Very few people actually know about it,” he said. The new law requires insurers that send non-renewal notices to alert individuals about FAIR and to help them sign up if they wish. According to FAIR’s website, however, the program “should be used only after a diligent effort to obtain coverage in the voluntary market has been made.” Nancy Kincaid, a spokeswoman with the state’s Department of Insurance, encouraged homeowners who receive non-renewals to call not just the major insurance companies but a broker who may be able to help find a plan.