Lara earned his B.A. in journalism/Spanish/Chicano Studies from San Diego State University. He went on to be a master's candidate in leadership from the University of Southern California.
Protected over 2.4 million policyholders from insurance non-renewal following declared wildfire disasters in 2020 — and more than 1 million in 2019 under a law he authored
Launched a partnership with Governor Newsom’s administration to establish wildfire mitigation measures that will lead to insurance incentives for hardened homes and communities
Introduced regulations to give homes and businesses open access to their property’s “risk scores,” which insurance companies use to price premiums and deny coverage — and require those scores incorporate the benefit of defensible space and other home-hardening actions
Announced actions to protect the availability and affordability of insurance and held the first-ever investigatory hearing into the threat that wildfires pose to a competitive insurance market
Visited more than two dozen counties to hear directly from thousands of residents and local leaders about insurance issues related to wildfires
Sponsored legislation signed by Governor Newsom that allows wildfire survivors to better access their benefits by cutting red tape for inventories, advance payment of living expenses, giving grace periods for payment of premiums, and requiring additional living expenses be paid when a home is uninhabitable due to an evacuation order or lack of water or power caused by a fire
Sponsored legislation signed by Governor Newsom tthat requires insurance companies to give notice when they non-renew a consumer but offer a lesser “difference in conditions policy,” and extend coverage for building code upgrades
